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.”
“Mr. Franklin, with all due respect, I find your mannerism rude. If you’d like to speak to me, you can call my assistant at the dealership and make an appointment.”
“I’ve tried. Five times, to be exact. That was after speaking to every manager in the place from the service department to the general manager. I’m going to have my say right now and give you a chance to do the right thing.”
Cameron quirked a blond brow, crossed his arms over his chest, and chuckled. It wasn’t a humorous sound, but a dismissive one. “Are you threatening me?”
“Does the truth scare you?” Felix countered.
Spencer heaved a sigh as he glanced at his watch. “You have five minutes, Mr. Franklin. Not a second more.”
“Great. I only need two,” Felix replied. “I bought a brand-new Ford Fusion from your dealership four years ago. It was my first new car, so of course, I bought one with all the bells and whistles as well as the extra protection plans your dealership offered me. I made sure I had gap insurance, so I wouldn’t get screwed over if I totaled my car. I also bought an extended warranty to provide bumper-to-bumper protection against mechanical malfunctions once the factory warranty expired. Are you familiar with those programs?”
Spencer hitched his chin higher. “Of course.”
“The transmission went out on my Fusion three months ago, and I’ve tried every conceivable way to get your dealership to honor the