Page 6 of Mr. Perfect
Felix stood straight and proud behind the lectern and decided to speak from the heart. “The biggest threat facing Savannah citizens right now is complacency.” That got some heads turning in his direction. “What kills economic growth and progress? Complacency. What stifles the human spirit? Complacency. What encourages unrest and hatred?” Felix leaned a little closer to the microphone and lowered his voice. “It’s okay if you want to shout out the answer with me.” He nodded at the audience and said, “Complacency.” He was happy when a few of the Rotarians said it too. “What breeds mistrust of law enforcement agencies and politicians?” He bounced his hands up and down to encourage them. “Complacency,” he and half the room said. “Complacency is invisible and usually silent, but it’s deadly. How do we prevent it?”
Felix looked around and was pleased to see he’d captured everyone’s attention. Some members looked uncomfortable or pensive, a few looked pissed, but most at least appeared to be interested in what he had to say, including the person responsible for Felix accepting this speaking gig. This was why Felix never took the safe route. He wanted to reach people on a deeper level and give them another way of seeing things.
“Some of you look really uncomfortable right now. You might be wondering what the hell I’m doing up here, or how I earned an invitation, or perhaps you’re trying to guess what I’m going to say next.” Felix chuckled, then smiled at the group. “Good luck with that last one.” The members laughed at his attempt at self-deprecation, even the pissed ones, and it encouraged him to charge forward.
He spent the next fifteen minutes challenging the Rotary Club members to push outside their comfort zones. Felix urged them to get to know people that didn’t look like them, worship like them, and love like them. “Stand up for others when you see them being abused or oppressed, especially by those who are supposed to protect them. Complacency is a powerful foe. It might be invisible, but it isnotinvincible. Compassion. Empathy. Education. Those three things will clobber complacency in every battle. Choose your weapons wisely, folks, and let’s go to war. Thank you for your time.”
Felix was pleased with the warm applause he received as he made his way back to his seat. His eyes locked with Jude’s who clapped along with the members and Rotary officers at the head table. Jude’s heavy-lidded gaze gave Felix all kinds of ideas. He stowed them away until he was alone.
After Felix returned to his seat, the club president leaned toward him and said, “How would you like to become a Rotarian and head up a steering committee to increase the diversity of our group?”
Felix was rendered speechless. He had expected Neal to be angry over his bold assertion that the group was lacking in any way. Once he recovered from his surprise, he had to decide if he had the time to take on the responsibility. The hectic demands of his job at the paper and his podcast commitments left little personal time to do things that made him happy. Who was he kidding? Work and having a purpose brought Felix more joy than having free time to get into an argument with an idiot on social media. This offer was the kind of opportunity he’d been waiting for, and he’d be foolish to pass it up. Not to mention hypocritical.Do as I say and not as I do.
“I’d be honored, sir,” Felix said, extending his hand to Neal. “Can I call you later today to discuss it in further detail? I’d stick around after the meeting, but I have an important commitment.”
“Absolutely,” the older man said jovially before rising and returning to the podium.
Felix hoped Neal wouldn’t take too long to wrap up the meeting, especially since he told him he had another commitment, but Southern gentlemen never seemed to be in a hurry to do anything. Anticipation to corner his prey grew with each passing second until Felix was practically vibrating. He studied the man surreptitiously so he didn’t draw any unwanted attention to himself and tip his hand.
When Neal finally adjourned the meeting, his quarry rose from his seat, nodded to those around him, and began heading toward the exit. Felix had two choices: do the same or wait for another time to approach the man. Persistence was his virtue, not patience. Felix also swiftly rose but turned to face Neal, who was nearing the table.
“I’ll be in touch this afternoon, Neal.”
“Sounds great. Looking forward to it.”
Felix followed his prey, excitement building with every step.
“Felix,” Jude called out behind him. “Can I have a minute?”
Felix nearly stumbled when his name rolled off the devil’s forked tongue.Damn him.He pretended not to hear Jude and increased his pace. This might be his only chance, and he wouldn’t lose it.
Felix cleared the building and sighted his prey once more. Fortune was smiling down at him because someone had stopped the elusive man before he could slip away.
I got you now, Mr. Perfect.
Felix knew better than to interrupt the conversation his target was conducting with the exuberant Rotarian. Instead, he stood beneath a shade tree not too far from where Cameron Spencer, The Auto King, had parked. He settled for observing the exchange—something reporters were exceedingly good at. You could take many cues from a person’s body language or the way they treated others when they didn’t realize anyone was watching.
The two men were a study in contrast. Cameron Spencer was a striking man with thick, perfectly groomed blond hair and a tanned face that made his smile look even whiter. No way on God’s green earth were his teeth naturally that bright or perfect. Had to be porcelain veneers. Spencer was tall, broad-shouldered, and trim, where the man who’d waylaid him was the exact opposite in every aspect. At first glance, Felix saw two friends catching up on old times. Cameron grinned down at the shorter, older man whose lips moved a mile a minute as he gestured wildly. Upon closer scrutiny, Felix noted the tiny furrow in The Auto King’s brow, his rigid posture, and his darting glances toward the direction he wanted to go. What about this man made someone like Cameron Spencer feel uneasy? Maybe it wasn’t the man but the delay itself that was irking him. If so, Felix was going to grab the man by his discomfort and give it a good twist.
The older, paunchy man mimed reeling as he talked, leaning back like he had a massive fish on his imaginary line. Was he sharing a fishing story, or was he in sales like Spencer and had landed a large client? Then the man held his hands up in front of him, spacing them a good eighteen inches apart. Definitely a fish story. Spencer guffawed and slapped the man on the shoulder hard enough to make him stagger step to the right. Frat boys had their bro hugs, and businessmen had their bro slugs.
Spencer’s jovial features screwed up into disappointment as he took a step toward his vehicle, then jerked his head in the direction too. Felix didn’t need to hear Spencer’s voice to know he was politely ending the conversation. The short man nodded and smiled at The Auto King, but his frustration was obvious. Spencer slugged him again, then pivoted and started walking toward his car.
It’s showtime.
Spencer pulled his cell phone from his pocket and looked down at the screen as he crossed the parking lot, which meant he hadn’t noticed Felix leaning against the trunk of the tree just five feet from his car.
Felix waited until Spencer was only a few feet away before stepping from beneath the shade tree. “Excuse me, Mr. Spencer. Could I have a moment of your time?”
Spencer’s body jerked to a sudden stop. He snapped his head up and locked his gaze on Felix. Spencer’s eyes widened, and his mouth popped open in a silent gasp. Then his surprise turned to annoyance. Spencer narrowed his eyes and pressed his lips together into a flat line. As if someone flipped a switch, The Auto King flickered to life right before Felix’s eyes. Spencer smiled radiantly, and the creases in his forehead smoothed out. It all happened so fast, but Felix had glimpsed genuine alarm in the man’s dark eyes before he cleared his expression. Interesting. Who did Cameron Spencer fear?
“Mr. Franklin,” Cameron said jovially. “I think your speech was great, and I couldn’t agree with you more.”
“Thank you, Mr. Spencer.”
The Auto King gestured to his car. “I wish I could stick around and chat, but I really need to get going. I’m already late for a meeting.” He started walking to his car without waiting for Felix to respond. He’d at least given the other man a cursory moment to talk about the whopper he’d caught at the lake. Why not give Felix the same courtesy?
Felix stepped forward too so that both men reached Spencer’s car at the same time. “I’m afraid I must insist on a moment of your time, Mr. Spencer.”