Austin, Texas

Sue Ellen's stomach was full of butterflies as she spent the late afternoon preparing for her date with JR. Having only met him once she knew the physical attraction was there and the flowers and sweet notes he'd been sending her for over a week made her emotional attraction to him even stronger, so she imagined it would go well, but she didn't know for sure. She knew what she wanted though and that was JR.

She'd seen a hint of mischievousness in his eyes the night they'd met and knew that there was whole lot more to him than the sweet notes and a handsome face and she was looking forward to discovering just what that 'something more' was.

"Now remember your manners and what behaviours are appropriate for a lady and make sure you do not mention that placeholder you call a boyfriend, men do not want to be reminded of their competition. Especially when someone like JR Ewing is hardly in the same league as that Clint Ogden boy you like to spend time with."

Listening to her mother, it occurred to Sue Ellen that she hadn't informed her of anything that had happened recently. She contemplated not mentioning the breakup, not wanting to get into the details, but then realised her mother might be a sweeter, more relaxed person if she wasn't stressing about how to eliminate Clint Ogden from their lives.

"Oh mama, Clint is a nice man I wish you'd have given him a chance. But I expect you'll be pleased to know that we're no longer seeing each other."

Patricia's face lit up at the news, confirming Sue Ellen's thoughts.

"I'm not even going to ask, but you're right, I am pleased."

At that moment Kristin ran into the room.

"Mama, JR's here, and he's in a limousine. Sue Ellen please don't mess this one up, I'd like to ride in a limousine one day."

Sue Ellen laughed at Kristin's comments, her little sister was already so much like their mother and she still had a lot to learn.

"Good evening Mr Ewing, please come in."

Opening the door to JR, Patricia invited JR inside.

Meeting JR's eye, then seeing him look her up and down, Sue Ellen's heart started beating faster.

"Sue Ellen, darlin', you look stunning."

Kissing her cheek, he handed her a bouquet of yellow roses. She'd come to associate yellow roses with JR and in quiet moments thought to herself that she couldn't believe they already had a 'thing' of their own.

After a little small talk and a promise to have her back by midnight, JR placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her toward the waiting limousine.

Her heart beating fast at his touch, everything felt very overwhelming. She'd been on many dates with wealthy men but never with one she liked as much as JR Ewing.

"Champagne?"

Pouring two glasses, he handed one to her and smiled.

Nervous, but feeling safe and excited to be with him, she accepted the drink.

Sure they hadn't sat in silence the entire ride, she couldn't remember anything they'd spoken about when the limo came to a stop not long later.

Surprised as for some reason she'd expected them to be going further, she couldn't quite believe it when he leaned closer and whispered in her ear as if he'd read her mind.

"First stop in a line of exciting events for the night."

The sound of his voice combined with the closeness to her sent shivers down her spine and she could do nothing but smile.

Taking his hand, they entered the historic Driskill Hotel and she couldn't help but feel confused and slightly disappointed when she realised where they were, the location familiar from previous, unsuccessful dates she'd been on. For whatever reason she'd expected more and disappointingly she wondered whether JR Ewing was a wonderful gift giver but lacked the skills to organise a spectacular date.

"I told you, first stop of the night, not the destination, patience is a virtue you know."

Having read either her face or her mind, he reassured her that he wasn't just any man, he was JR Ewing and he was anything but ordinary.

Expecting to walk toward the Driskill Grill, the hotels five star restaurant where she assumed they were having dinner, the first hint that things were indeed different and special came when JR guided her in a different direction, upstairs toward double doors with the words 'Maximilian Room' printed on a gold plaque above the doorframe.

Entering, she looked around, noting the table set for a romantic dinner, a dance floor and a string quartet. They were the only guests in the room big enough to hold hundreds, but despite the size of the room, it was perfect and intimate.

"Oh JR."

"It's not too much is it? I wanted to make an impression."

Asking somewhat rhetorically, he invited her to dance before she gave her answer.

"No, it's perfect."

In his arms as they danced, her answer was completely honest. He'd made an impression and she was very taken by his charms.

They continued to dance and then sat down to dinner, the only breaks in their conversation coming when their waiter served them and their sommelier informed them of the wine selections and recommendations.

Through dinner they spoke comfortably and candidly, first about their families and work and then about their lives and what they wanted.

Sue Ellen spoke about happiness as her goal although her mother had other ideas. She hadn't intended to be so honest about her mother's intentions but JR was easy to talk to.

JR spoke about happiness and family expectations in much the same way Sue Ellen did. His father had a goal and didn't really care too much about how it was achieved, he talked about not wanting to settle down with just any lady just to make his father happy, he didn't want his son to grow up in an unloving home.

Something in his words struck Sue Ellen, they had similar perspectives on their childhoods, there was a continual need to please a parent, but constantly falling short, never quite doing enough or being good enough to get the praise they so desperately wanted.

As they ate, she felt their connection growing stronger, it was only their first date but already she felt so close to him and she truly felt he shared her feelings.

"On a lighter note, there is a question I have to ask you. Your answer will decide whether there will be a second date or not."

His sentence sounded serious, but his tone of voice was joking so she wasn't sure what to expect.

"I guess I'd better get it right then. Go ahead Mr Ewing, ask your important question."

She played along with his light-hearted tone.

"How do you feel about chili?"

Asking her completely straight-faced and serious, she was taken aback; the question was definitely not what she'd expected.

"Chili? Like the food?"

Chuckling, he clarified. "Yes, the food. What's your opinion on chili?"

She didn't even need time to think, just speaking whatever came into her mind.

"Well I am a native Texan and there are a few things that Texans do well, dance, barbecue, football, and live music to name a few. Chili is one of those things; it would be almost offensive for a real Texan to say they don't like chili. I hope that's a satisfactory answer."

Smirking, she had no idea what the purpose of his question was, but it obviously made him very happy to ask and hear her answer.

"I absolutely agree."

Replying, he offered no further explanation and instead stood up and held out his hand, inviting her to dance again.

After dancing for a while, he suggested that they move on to the next part of their evening.

"I told you this wasn't the only event of the night."

Unaware of what he had planned next, she laughed and trustingly held onto his hand as he led them out of the hotel and back into the limo.