feeling he wasn’t going to like whatever secret Jude was keeping. It went against his nature to retreat, but he got inside his car and fired his old faithful to life, knowing it would irritate Jude that he hadn’t taken the bait.
Felix would get the last laugh when he uncovered Cameron Spencer’s secret and exposed The Auto King, aka Mr. Perfect, as nothing more than a common criminal.
“Felix, Minerva is looking for you,” Jimmy told him before he could reach the sanctity of his office. “She said it’s important.”
He held up his hand to acknowledge the rookie reporter without slowing his stride. Felix closed his office door behind him and retrieved a bottle of Tylenol from his desk. The heat and humidity, combined with the tension from his run-in with Jude, had given him a nasty headache. Felix stripped off his jacket and tie, then loosened the top button of his dress shirt. He pulled a bottle of water from his mini-fridge and chugged half of it to chase two tablets before going to see his boss.
Minerva Driscoll looked like Marilyn Monroe but had Nora Ephron’s humor, Gloria Steinem’s activism, and Barbara Walters’s determination. Beyond her in-depth knowledge of publishing, Minerva had impeccable people skills. She knew how to get the best work from each reporter on her staff. She pushed when she needed to and backed off when a laid-back approach was warranted. She fearlessly sought the truth, no matter the personal cost. Felix admired her greatly.
He knocked on the frame of her open door. “You wanted to see me?”
Minerva glanced up from her computer and smiled. “I did. Come in. Happy birthday, by the way.”
“Thank you,” Felix said as he sat across from her desk. “What’s up?”
“October is Crime Prevention Month, and I want to start making plans for the special features we’re going to run.”
“Already?” Felix asked. Minerva was always thinking ahead, but this was even early for her.
“You’re familiar with Jed Akins, right?”
A sinking feeling began in the pit of Felix’s stomach. “He’s the station manager for Channel Eleven news.”
“Yes,” Minerva said. “Our two outlets have worked together on past projects as a cross-promotion type of thing.”
“I’m aware.” The paper had joined forces with Channel Eleven in the past to do segments on weddings, gardening, and barbecuing. Savannah Morning News saw an increase in subscriptions as a result, so it made sense that they’d continue to look for new ways to promote both outlets. Fuck me. Felix knew where this was going. Minerva wouldn’t call him into her office to get his opinion on articles and promotional pieces that didn’t involve him. Suddenly, Jude’s urgency to chat made sense. “What kind of projects did you have in mind?”
“Well, that will be up to you and Jude Arrow to decide. You’re familiar with The Straight Shooter, right?”
“I’ve heard of him,” Felix said casually.
Minerva’s right brow arched upward. Maybe some of his hostility had seeped into his tone. “We thought it would be best if our two ace reporters met soon to discuss possible segments.”
“You’re leaving it up to us to decide?” Felix asked.
“Obviously, Jed and I will have final approval before anything is recorded, written, aired, or published. We just thought the two of you should meet and brainstorm ideas a bit.”
He wanted to say hell no, but he wouldn’t refuse Minerva. She’d stuck her neck out for him too many times to count, and if this is what she wanted, he would find a way to make it work. “When?”
“They’re expecting you tomorrow at noon.”
High noon. How fitting.
“I’ll be there,” Felix said with a firm nod.
Minerva smiled happily. “I can’t wait to see what you come up with.”
Felix stood up and returned her smile. “I’m sure it will be great.” If it’s like college, I’ll come up with all the ideas while that glory hog takes all the credit. Felix tilted his head toward the door. “I need to give Neal Jade a call. He’s asked me to become a Rotarian and head up a steering committee to bring diversity to their club.”
Minerva nodded. “He asked you, a white man, to do this? Not a woman or a person of color?”
Felix chuckled. He’d been so flattered by Neal’s suggestion and distracted by his eagerness to speak with Cameron Spencer to absorb the irony in the invitation. “Thanks for pointing it out, Minerva.” She winked. “You know who’d do an excellent job?” Felix asked.
“Shut your face and get out.”
Felix laughed all the way back to his office.