Excelsior

Chapter 26: Tempting alliance

Wearing an extravagant white coat, Selma entered the office through the doorway. She approached the secretary, who examined her carefully and asked her to take a seat. The people in the room didn't take their eyes off her. It wasn't long before she invited her in.

Mr. Abot was sitting on one of the sofas in front of the fireplace, moving a piece from the chessboard on the coffee table.

"Tower to G five?" Bad move sir. "I will not remove my pawn."

"I hope I am not interrupting your game," Selma announced, "gentlemen."

"Will you excuse us," Pietro said, looking up, "Adam?"

The man left the office, and Mr. Abot invited Selma to take a seat on the couch across from him.

"I'm glad you were able to make it. Nice coat, by the way"

"Thank you," she said, making herself comfortable, "Pietro. I'll certainly love doing business with you." Then Selma removed her coat and revealed her body in lingerie. "You're handsome."

Mr. Abot laughed.

"It wasn't that kind of business I was referring to."

Selma quickly covered her body.

"So if this isn't what you want, and I don't have a company, what are you looking for?"

"I find it striking the fact that, despite not being appreciated by this society, you have access to it, and, certainly, you are better received by its businessmen than myself, which seems advantageous for both."

"How does it benefit me?"

"Well, you want to destroy this society, right?"

"No. I just want to destroy Harold."

"And therein lies the problem," he clapped. "So much effort in just one powerful person, and without allies, it will be useless. You must aim higher."

"Where?"

"You must aim to destroy the old aristocracy."

She laughed.

"You're wrong, Pietro." Your plans don't benefit me at all. I don't want to destroy the old aristocracy, but rather, I want to be part of it again."

"Come on, Selma. Don't be a fool."

"Excuse me? She frowned."

"Even if you managed to destroy Harold, this society would not accept you. He has already branded you a vile woman, a slanderer, a social climber. Neither housewives nor businessmen want to get close to you -they never would. The only thing that would make you a free woman would be to destroy this, this system governed by families that have had wealth for over two centuries. If the social scene ends, you no longer have to hide or be judged. Even men will cease to be blinded by prejudice towards you, and you could manage to marry a man almost as rich as myself."

"Even if that's true, it would be irrelevant to me. Besides, this society is well protected."

"A woman like you wouldn't be so mistreated in cities like New York, Los Angeles, Silicon Valley -over there, no woman gets a bad name for taking advantage of these men. Only here we have a system where appearances matter so much, to the point where, if one of its members is disinherited, she is censored for the rest of her life. No one will cross you out, if there is no cross-out. The importance of social register, and its unconditional adoration by nouveau riche and old money here is what has us all plunged into the Gilded Age."

"And what are the chances of being successful? This society has powerful politicians and wealthy men under its power. Your resources are not useful here. Wouldn't it be better if you move to those cities?"

"You are not wrong about that. For years I have persuaded entrepreneurs from other cities to move here in order to make Lexington a popular city and increase the number of newcomers. For some reason, almost all of them end up infected by the fever of the aristocracy and end up obeying old families' rules. That is -it's ridiculous! Only here you see that it is more important that your great-great grandfather was a steel baron than it is the money you have. Here is the only city where your last name more important than your money. People with a much smaller fortune than mine are more influential than me, and their wives can enter the most exclusive fashion houses while mine can't, they can be members of the more reputable clubs while self-made men like me can't. It's unfair, Selma, so unfair like what they have done to you."

"He threatened me," she said with her wet eyes.

"I know," he replied in a soft voice. "I've seen your interviews on TV. The reason he has power is this society. If we destroy this pillar, there will be no more terror for you. What do you say?"

Selma stared at the chessboard for a while.

"I'll think about it." She nodded and stood up. "I'll call you."

"Perfect," he said and walked her to the door.

When he closed it, he looked at the floor and his mind took him to the moment when she had removed her coat.

"Damnit!" He exclaimed, clasping her hands.