Dallas, Texas

"This one is my favourite, no, this one", JR walked past Lucy's bedroom door and heard a small portion of her conversation; "I hope that when I'm older I'll be taller, I don't think these would look as good on me as they do on the models. My grandma says I'll grow, but it doesn't feel like it. Have you seen how tall Sue Ellen is? I doubt I'll ever be that tall", JR grew more interested and paused, standing out of sight but close enough to hear the rest of the conversation. "I don't care about being tall, I just hope that I'm pretty", Muriel replied, "it doesn't matter night now though, my mama says that girls our age shouldn't dress like that, she says that bikinis are for older girls. I don't quite know why, but I don't mind, I don't think they are really my kind of bathing suit anyway". JR's ears perked up at the words Sue Ellen and bikini, "well hello girls", he casually strolled past the door, keen to see exactly what they were looking at. "Oh, hi uncle JR" Lucy expressed almost no emotion as she spoke, JR wasn't her favourite Ewing to deal with, "what's that you two are reading?" he pointed at the glossy magazine and looked at the pictures on the page. "It's the new Her Style magazine; Sue Ellen sure does look pretty in these pictures. Do you think she could get me some of the clothes? Grandma always buys my clothes in the children's section, never the juniors section", JR picked up the magazine and leafed through the pages, picture after picture of girls in summer clothing; dresses, skirts, shorts, and finally bathing suits. "Damn", he whispered to himself as he saw what he'd been dreading, Sue Ellen looked great, but the pictures weren't something he wanted other people seeing, especially young men. He flicked to the next page and got an even bigger shock, there were male models in the next few pictures, and they didn't seem at all bothered by the immodestly dressed young ladies they were modelling with. "No Lucy, these clothes are much too grown up for you. Do as your grandma says and maybe in a few years you can shop in the juniors section", he faked a smile and left the room; he and Sue Ellen would be having a little talk about her modelling career soon.

Austin, Texas

"Please, just take a look at the offer and consider it. It's a really good deal, they're offering ten times your normal fee", Sue Ellen sighed, "no, I told you after the Miss Texas pageant and I'm telling you again now, I do not pose for companies like that. The money is not worth ruining my reputation and facing my mother's wrath, and I can only imagine how JR would react. Tell them thank you, but no, and for any future offers like that you can tell them the same thing", she had a wholesome image to uphold and she wasn't going to let some trashy photographer ruin that for her. "Fine. Let's go over your schedule for this week then", her manager moved on, but looked visibly upset, Sue Ellen was turning down a very well-paying gig for moral reasons, but he was losing out on a whole lot of commission as a result.

Opening the door and entering her mother's house, she realised that something was different; Kristin and her mother weren't supposed to be home until tomorrow, but the house didn't feel empty. "JR" she gasped as she noticed him sitting in the living room, "you frightened me. What are you doing here? Did we have a date that I forgot about?" she moved toward him but was confused when he didn't stand up or even smile. "No, this is a surprise visit. Where have you been?" he was straight faced and she was confused, "I had a meeting with my manager. You knew that, you have my schedule", he nodded and she was beginning to wonder if there was something she was missing, "is something wrong?" she asked, genuinely confused. "You could say that", his answer still didn't give her any clue what he was upset about, "well, what is it?" JR stood and picked up a copy of the magazine from the coffee table, "this", he handed her the magazine, too calmly for her liking; she was beginning to get nervous. "I don't understand", she flicked through the pages and looked at the pictures, there was nothing out of place and she didn't know what he was so upset about; "you know how I feel about this kind of thing. I thought you felt the same way". Now Sue Ellen was more confused than ever, "JR, I don't understand. You've never had a problem with me modelling before. What is so different about these pictures?" she looked over the pages again. "Let's recap; you won't wear a bikini at Southfork because it's too revealing for a family get-together, but you'll put one on for the whole world to see; especially those male models. Do you have no self-respect? What do you think people we know are going to say? I've already had Lucy wishing she were as tall as you, I can just imagine that the boys she goes to school with won't be thinking about your height", he sounded bitter and angry, and Sue Ellen was upset.

"JR, they're harmless pictures. I am paid to do as I'm told, I don't get to choose what to wear. But that's beside the point, it's not wrong or indecent, I'm standing with other girls on the lakeshore, it's completely appropriate. I would never do something that would hurt my image and I don't think these are going to cause anyone we know to be shocked. You can see much worse pictures in store windows or any other magazine. It's not even aimed at men, the target demographic is young girls and teenagers, and these are the clothes the companies want them to buy. It's my job, I don't choose what happens on shoot days, I just do what I'm asked to", she was upset with the fact that he was blaming her for 'ruining' her image when she had barely done anything even close to wrong. "Hm, yea sure, today it's bikini pictures on a lake, tomorrow it's lingerie, or worse. Sue Ellen, you are much too special to be seen like this by any old stranger. Leave that to the common girls of this world, you don't need to model at all, I can provide you with everything you'll ever need or want"; she wasn't sure whether to be flattered that he cared so much or angry that he didn't trust her enough to say no to 'inappropriate' offers. She sighed, "JR, don't you trust me? I know when to say no. Actually, just today I turned down a huge offer from a magazine that was willing to pay me ten times the usual amount. I turned them down because I don't believe in selling myself like that and because I know how much you would hate if I did. But the Her Style pictures really are just a bit of harmless fun, the theme was summer at the lake and we did all the pictures that went with that theme. It's completely fine for the situation; I promise, no one is going to react the way that you think they will. I love you, but right now you're being unnecessarily overprotective"; JR listened to her speaking and was relieved when she said that she'd turned down a big offer today, she did have some common sense. "I don't like it, but I suppose there's nothing I can do about these now. I would really appreciate it if you kept your work modest though, I don't like the idea of other men looking at you the way I do", he would have a talk with her modelling agency and the magazine company tomorrow, he'd guarantee that she only did completely moral work from now on. "Of course, I'm sorry you had to get so worried about these pictures. I promise you, I know my limits and I would never break those", she wasn't sure why she was apologising to him, she hadn't even done anything wrong but somehow she felt the need to make it right. "Good. Now, I'm here in Austin, so if you're free, how about we go to dinner?" he grinned, in his mind he'd won the argument and he had her back in submission, he may as well make the evening into a positive one. "I have a better idea; mama and Kristin are away until tomorrow morning, so we have the house all to ourselves…", JR grinned, "that's much better", he whispered before kissing her. It was nice to finally get time to themselves, and he wasn't going to let their earlier disagreement get in the way of him enjoying himself. Besides, he deserved this, she had to earn his forgiveness and this was the perfect opportunity.

To be continued…