CHAPTER FIFTEEN:WITHOUT PREJUDICE

'I'm going into politics and you have to be careful of what you do now that you're going to be a public figure.' George sounded a note of warning to Sheila. They were on their second date dinner at an exclusive hotel. Sheila after succeeding in convincing her mother, had laid out the publicity plan of their wedding. She told her mother that George wanted people to be familiar with her face so that no media would run her down after they tied the nuptial knot.

'I don't get you sir, how is your going into politics affected by me?' She knew where he was going but pretended to be ignorant of the impending insults.

'You know apple doesn't fall far from the tree.' He gloated her.

Sheila dropped her fork and stood up from the table. Without a backward glance, she walked out of the hotel.

George unexpected of Sheila's reaction was surprised to see her walk out. He looked round and saw some of the people dinning looking at him.

'Shit!' He hissed and left the table.

Sheila was trying to control her tears which was threatening to fall anytime. She raised her hand to hail a taxi but before she could climb in, a hand drew her back.

'And where do you think you're going?' He hissed in her ear as he brought out ten dollars and gave the taxi driver. 'Thank you Mr, she will not be needing your service any more.''

'Thank you sir.' The driver said with a wide smile as he assumed that it was a lovers' quarrel. 'Madam, please forgive sir.' He advised before he drove off.

'Can you please let go of my hand before I stain you with stealing?' Sheila asked George clenching her teeth in anger. He left her hand as if he was stung but stayed close to her.

'What kind of embarrassment did you give me inside there?' He said trying to control his anger.

'Did I embarrassed you?' She continued in the same tone. 'Sitting with you, eating with you is already an embarrassment to your personality.' At this point she couldn't hold her tears. She was using her hand to clean them. 'I decided to leave your table so that I would not continue to stain your beautiful integrity.'

George knew he had really crossed the line but his arrogant self found it difficult to apologize. He looked at her with regret but quickly hid his expression.

'It was very rude of you to leave the table while we were still eating.' He persisted.

'I was okay, so it's time to go.' Sheila said stubbornly.

'How stupid of you, you left your purse and phone on the table.'

Sheila was speechless because she just wanted to get far away from him. 'That will show you how much I want to sacrifice in getting away from you. You're a nightmare the fate unfortunately brought into my life. I told you to send me to prison for my mum's crime but your wickedness wouldn't allow you leave me alone. You have planned to ruin my life which I obliged you yet, you keep on taunting me at any opportunity you have. Please let me give myself up for the deserved punishment the state is ready to dish out to me.' She broke down.

'You will do no such thing.'

'For Christ's sakes, what do you want from me?' She cried bitterly as she bent and held her stomach. People who were passing were looking while some were even commenting. Sheila had nothing to lose but if people should recognize him, then he was done for. Thank God it was in the evening and visibility was poor. He held Sheila's arm and steered her towards the hotel's gate. 'Can you please calm down?' He said with a pleading voice. Sheila looked at him to confirm that George was the one that spoke. Seeing her like this, George felt some emotion towards her. Pity. Yes, he pitied her for having such a mother because she didn't deserve to be born by a petty thief. Such a beautiful lady having a pathetic mother. She might be beautiful for all he cared but she was a person not to be trusted. Even if he would stop taunting her to avoid future embarrassment, he would still have to be very careful. He took her to his car and told his driver to excuse them.

'Please stop being a drama queen Sheila and be realistic. We don't have a relationship neither would be any in future. But I'm very down to earth, you don't expect me to trust you at all and I'm not even going to wait for you to prove yourself because I have my plan. Just three months and you go your way forever without settlement. So you didn't need to go all emotional on me.' He said with his usual cold voice.

'I'm not all emotional on you. We have agreed that you would stop referring to my mother's issue since I have agreed to go along with any punishment you have drawn up for me.' Sheila said weakly amid tears.

'Now I want you to calm down, clean your face and we would go back inside there as if nothing happened. I promise you I will never taunt you on that again.' He promised as he gave her his handkerchief. To his further embarrassment, she blew into it and gave it back to him. 'Keep it, afterall, you need it more than I do.'

'Thank you.' She said with a smile. ' I know it's an expensive handkerchief someone like me can't afford, I will wash it and give it back tomorrow. I don't actually need it.'

'Whatever.' George muttered.

Sheila after calming down went to the bathroom to wash her face. They both went back to their dinner.

'My grandpa invited us to his house this Saturday, he wants to meet you.' He told her when they were having drinks.

'But sir, I can't meet him yet.'

'Why can't you meet him yet?' He mimicked her.

'I don't know anything about you and if he should ask me questions what would I say?'

'Just be yourself. Our relationship is love at first sight and we are still getting to know each other. Although there are some basic things we have to know like where did we meet? How did we meet and stuff like that. What I want you to master is a romantic nature and your love expression towards me. My grandpa is not easy to fool but I've been able to convince him that I can't live without you.'

'That's what I told my parents too.'

'Good, we are on the same page. Tomorrow, we will have dinner in my house with some of my friends apart from Gary you need to be acquainted with. Be natural and don't push things definitely, you'll get along with them.' He signaled to the waiter to bring their bill. 'The night has not ended because you need to see a part of my life as a bachelor.'

'And what is that?' She asked excitedly.

'We are going clubbing.' He said with all seriousness.

'Wow, this is a life way different from mine.'

'You mean you had never gone clubbing before?'

'I did a couple of time with my friends in college but for some time now I haven't be in touch with them and you know my social life is just on average. Going clubbing is getting drunk and my mum wouldn't want to see me drunk.'

'I may also be saying good bye to it but before then, let me have the feel of it for a while.'

'Why do you want to go into politics if I may ask sir? You're wealthy, influential, an achiever and a powerful entity. What else do you want?'

'I want to weigh my power amongst my country people. I want to know if my popularity can stand the test of time as a mouth piece for my people in the political arena of our nation.'

'That's a big responsibility you're adding to yourself. Some people would love you, some would criticize you, judge you without you having the opportunity to defend yourself.'

'Wow, that's a fact you're opening my eyes to. But do you think I stand a chance of winning?' He asked anxiously to hear her view.

'People see you on the cover pages of magazines as a young achiever and playboy, some like you just as you are. But to see you in the perspective of a politician would look like a joke to them.'

'How do you see me as a person?'

'Sir, I don't know much about you, I got little information in a magazine I read today out of curiosity.'

'You have been with me for two days now, so how do you rate me?'

'Seriously?'

'Without prejudice.'

'By your character towards me, you're wicked, ruthless, unforgiving and arrogant.'

'That's how you see me or perceive me?'

'That's how you are to me.' She said with tears in her eyes. George did not know what to say but kept on looking at her. Was it true all what she called him? Was she not being prejudiced in her rating of him? Anyway, he was a businessman first before a politician.

'Sheila, I want you to change your opinion of me while we are in this deal. I want you to form a good and convincing personality of me because very soon, you would be called upon to talk about me. Open a file for me in your brain during the time you would be my fiance and wife. After then, I don't care who you think I am but for the purpose of my political career, see me as a man that you can't do without.' He said coldly putting fear in Sheila.

'Yes sir.' She said timidly, bowing her head.

'And one more thing, I like my woman to be submissive.'