My better half has gotten me to agree to get a cat.
I've always for some reason been adverse to them.

So now the mission is to find a type that has a good demeanor and we end up liking.

Persians
Mellow

Yeah, I'd agree that persians generally have a great demeanor. Great lap cats. My opinion is that boy cats (which you obviously want to get neutered) are a little more social, but that's just been my experience. We got our persians from a good breeder. Be prepared with persians to spend a few extra dollars every 6-9 months to get them shaved or trimmed, since their fur grows out pretty quickly.