"So, are you going to give me any kind of hint at all about what type of restaurant you are taking me to tonight? Or do I just have to wait until we get there?" Katherine asked JR with a teasing smile.
JR returned Katherine's smile before answering her question. "I'm afraid it's the latter! But there is something in particular that I know that you will enjoy there! That's all I'm going to say about it." He said.
Katherine laughed lightly at JR's response and took hold of his hand as they continued to walk.
JR smiled to himself. After their date at the hotel last week, it had felt like Katherine had distanced herself from him emotionally. So JR was relieved to see that she seemed to have gone back to her usual, cheerful self. JR worried that he might have overstepped his bounds and possibly made Katherine nervous at the pool area. The problem was that he felt like he had no real idea about how to go about starting their physical relationship. Back when he had been dating Sue Ellen, there had been a clear timeline set into place: On their wedding night and not anytime before that. But things were different with Katherine. She had told JR that he wouldn't be waiting for even one year, but just when would be the right time for it to happen? And just how was JR supposed to go about getting things started between them? Somehow, JR didn't think that simply asking Katherine if she wanted to have sex would go over very well with her. His slight suggestion towards that direction had ended embarrassingly enough, and JR didn't want Katherine to think that that was all he cared about. So was he supposed to just wait for her to initiate it? JR knew that he was probably expecting too much after only a little over two months of dating. But he had also thought that they were in a really good place in their relationship after Katherine had finally opened up to him about her past with Leon. Adding that to the heat of the moment they had been in, and JR hadn't thought that his assumption was unreasonable at all. But instead, he had gotten the big brush-off from Katherine, and now he just felt awkward about the whole situation.
"JR, are you alright? You haven't said anything for about ten minutes now." Katherine said; breaking JR out of his thoughts.
"Don't worry, I'm fine. Sometimes silence is more enjoyable than words, though. Especially on a night like this." JR said as he gazed at the lit street lamps around them.
"It is beautiful, I admit." Katherine agreed.
"But not nearly as beautiful as you, my dear." JR complimented Katherine.
Katherine smiled softly at JR he stroked her face, and for a moment, it seemed like everything was back to normal between the two of them.
xxx
"It's not as crowded as I thought it would be." Katherine said as she looked around the restaurant.
JR was about to agree with Katherine, but he immediately forgot what he had been about to say when he spotted a group of businessmen staring at them. Instinctively, he let go of Katherine's hand. Even without the hurt look that she gave him, JR knew that he had made the wrong move. But he hadn't been able to stop his reaction in time. After listening to years of his father's lectures about never showing any kind of weakness in public, JR's irrational insecurities were still a bit hard for him to break at times. He was trying to change, but this had unfortunately been one of his rare slip-ups.
It wasn't until after they had been seated at one of the more secluded tables in the restaurant that Katherine confronted JR about his actions. JR wasn't surprised. After all, Katherine wasn't the type to just forgive and forget.
"Why did you drop my hand back there!? Please tell me that you aren't actually ashamed to be seen with me in front of your oil business buddies!" Katherine said angrily.
"No! It's not like that! Look, I know that it was wrong, and I'm really sorry. I just got nervous about what they might have thought..." JR said.
"And yet you had no problem groping me everywhere while we were at the pool last week!" Katherine said coldly.
JR's heart sunk. So he was right after all. Katherine still hadn't forgotten about that, after all.
"That was different." JR argued feebly.
"If you want me to believe that, then you're going to have to explain to me just why you are so afraid of what other people think of us." Katherine said.
"I know that it's stupid now, but I was trained by father to see just about anything as a threat to my reputation. According to him, if I looked too soft, people would take advantage of that in business." JR explained.
Katherine looked perplexed. "So what do you think will happen? That those losers would see you holding my hand, and then somehow be able to take Ewing Oil away from you or something else equally ridiculous? I thought that you were more confident than this. After all, we're better than everyone else here." She said matter-of-factly.
JR knew that he had to turn things around. Katherine had a lot of pride, and he didn't want her to think that he was a wimp.
"You are absolutely right! Who cares what they think!?" JR agreed with a smile. He then reached across the table and took Katherine's hand in his; making a point to keep the gesture in full-view for the other people in the restaurant to see.
Katherine smiled warmly. "Trust me, they are the ones who wish that they could be us!" She said.
xxx
Despite the tension during the beginning of their date, JR and Katherine were able to have a relaxing dinner together. JR had left the table to pay the bill. But that wasn't the only thing that he had planned to do. Since Katherine had enjoyed the strawberry parfait so much, JR had made it a point to acquire the recipe for it from the kitchen staff so that he could surprise her later. This might have seemed like an unusual request to make in such a high-end establishment. But JR had enough charm and influence to pull it off easily.
JR had just returned to the room containing his and Katherine's table when he noticed that she had company. An unfamiliar-looking man was standing next to their table; talking amiably with Katherine. JR felt his jealous side start to take over. Just who did this guy think he was!? But despite his anger, JR decided to eavesdrop on them a bit before showing this loser his place.
"-been a few years now. But somehow, you just become even more beautiful everytime I see you, Katherine! It must be fate that we've met here like this! Are you ready to fall into my arms and become my one and only now!?" The man said with a mischievous grin.
"Sorry, James! But we both know that flattery will get you nowhere with me! And I don't think that my boyfriend would be too happy to hear you say that!" Katherine said with an amused smile on her face.
Feeling relieved by Katherine's words, JR slowly unclenched his fists. But he decided that it was time to interrupt the conversation. Katherine was his, and he was going to let this loser know it.
"Well, what have we here? I'm gone for five minutes and you've already got men vying for your attention! But I guess I can't really blame them for trying!" JR joked good-naturedly.
Katherine laughed. "Don't worry, JR! I'm not under attack this time! This is James Bryant. He's an old friend of mine from high school." She explained.
JR turned on his faux-friendly smile. "It's nice to meet you, James! I'm JR Ewing, and also this lovely lady's future husband!" He said confidently, causing Katherine to turn bright red.
"Wow! I didn't know that you were getting married, Katherine!" James said excitedly. JR noticed that a few people were staring at them due to James' outburst. But he didn't care. As long as he got rid of James, who cared if a rumor that would eventually become reality spread?
"Well, we haven't exactly set anything up yet! But that is the plan, eventually. After the um, engagement." Katherine babbled, looking more embarrassed by the second.
"Well, congratulations, anyway! And you couldn't have picked a better choice for yourself, because even I can't compete with the great JR Ewing!" James said jokingly.
"That's right! So don't even try!" JR said with a smile. His words sounded friendly, but there was a slight undertone of a warning in them.
"Believe me, even if I did, it wouldn't work! Once Katherine makes up her mind, that's it. And this means that she is definitely serious about you, JR." James said.
"Well, it was nice talking to you, James. But Katherine and I still have a date to get back to. Right, honey?" JR said as he turned to Katherine, putting his arm around her waist possessively.
Katherine smiled tightly. "That's right, we do. I guess we have to leave now. It was nice to see you again, James." She said.
"Yeah, it really was. You guys should drop by Houston if you get the chance! Oh, and don't forget to invite me to the wedding!" James said happily.
xxx
Katherine was completely silent during the drive back to her house. JR knew that he had screwed up big-time, but he was too afraid to try to start any conversation because he knew that Katherine would let him have it.
Once JR had parked his car in the driveway, he decided that he had to say something. It was either that, or face the silent treatment until tomorrow.
"Look, I know that you're upset with me, but-" JR started to say before Katherine cut him off.
"Upset!? "Upset" does not even come close to it, JR! Just what the HELL was your problem tonight!? I can't even say hello to an old acquaintance without you turning into a jealous control freak! And now everyone thinks that we're getting married!" Katherine practically shouted.
JR was a bit alarmed by Katherine's outburst. Normally, this would have been a situation where he grabbed a woman in his arms and starting kissing her passionately, and then some. It had happened too many times during his marriage with Sue Ellen. After all, anger was a form of passion. But somehow, JR didn't think that this would work on Katherine. She looked so dangerous right now, that JR had a feeling that she would resort to using actual physical violence against him if he tried anything to draw her away from her anger.
"But we are getting married. So what does it matter?" JR asked calmly.
"You know what I mean, JR! We're getting married, but not next week like the whole town probably now thinks we are! Once my family sees this in the paper, they'll go crazy! I didn't want to have to go through that experience twice!" Katherine complained.
"Don't worry. It will all die down soon. This sort of thing happens a lot." JR reassured Katherine.
"Maybe so. But you still didn't need to go that far back there. Trust me, James is harmless." Katherine said ruefully.
"Well, at least he knew his place after I was through with him! I don't like seeing other men swarm around you like that." JR said bitterly.
"But don't you trust me!? I would never do anything to betray you, JR! So it shouldn't bother you that I had a five minute conversation with James! You never hear me complain that you still talk to your ex-wife. And you know why, JR? Because I trust you. I admit that it took me a long time to get there, but I still learned. Although it looks like I can't say the same for you!" Katherine said.
"How can you say that!? You know, you've been angry with me ever since last week. Please don't tell me that this is all because of what happened at the hotel!?" JR said in disbelief.
"And now, he finally gets it! Yes, JR! That has everything to do with this! I try to set up some temporary ground rules for our relationship, only for you to disrespect me by thinking that I'll want to have you in a hotel room after you feel me up in a goddamn lounge chair in public! Do you think I'm a slut, JR!? Just because I slept with Leon!? Would you like the names of all of the men I've slept with!? Well, you should at least be happy to know that James is not one of them!" Katherine raged.
"Where is all of this even coming from!? I would never judge you for something like that! That is your past, and it has nothing to do with us!" JR insisted.
"Sorry, JR. But your actions have already spoken for you. After you found out that I'm not the perfect little virgin goddess that you assumed I was, you thought that I'd be easy enough to seduce right away. And you also seem to think that I'm incapable of resisting any other guy who even looks in my direction!" Katherine accused.
"I don't know why you believe all of this, but you're wrong. Look, why don't we just calm down and go inside so that we can really talk about this? Please?" JR practically begged.
Katherine put the palm of her hand against her forehead. It was as if JR was giving her an actual headache.
"I don't want to talk about this right now, JR. I just need to be alone." Katherine said, almost to herself. Then, without another word, she opened the car door and stormed off into her house; leaving JR alone in the driveway.
JR was miserable. He had thought that he had really learned a lot about having a good relationship with a woman after he had ended his cheating ways and started working on his communication skills. But apparently, that wasn't enough for Katherine. What had he done wrong?
Author's note: Sorry for the long delay here. Homework is a really annoying thing! In case anyone doesn't remember from the TV show, James was that weird, dorky guy with the big glasses who practically begged Katherine to dance with him at that party that she threw during her and Pam's trip to Houston. I'm sorry that this wasn't the most romantic chapter that I've written, especially after all of this time. But things are going to start getting a LOT better after this. As always, thanks for reading this!
