Dallas, Texas

"I'm not ready yet… I need more time to think…" the words repeated in his mind and he was beginning to understand exactly how she had felt the past few months; his own words were now being said back to him, except he was no longer in control. She had made the first move and called him just after Christmas to thank him for his lovely gift and he had tried to prolong their conversation; he had thought that she was finally ready to resume their relationship, but she had quickly made it clear that she still needed time. It was almost the end of January and she was still talking about time. At first, he had tried to make the most of his new freedom, but that quickly lost its appeal, mostly because it wasn't his decision to separate for a while and he wasn't really enjoying the time apart, though it was giving him a fresh perspective on things. In the meantime, he had Julie, she was willing to do almost anything he wanted, whether it be physical or just listening to him rant about his problems, though he had quickly realised that Julie and Sue Ellen were not interchangeable and were not the same. During their time apart, he had come to understand that the emotional side of Sue Ellen appealed to him as much as the physical side, there was so much about Sue Ellen that he loved, and he wasn't willing to let her go.

He thought about something his mama had told him almost a year ago, when everyone was first pressuring them to get married; she had told him "marriage is a long, hard, difficult road. But, it's also wonderful". At the time, he wasn't sure that he wanted anything hard or difficult, he was content to just have fun and enjoy events in his personal life as they came, it was so different to his work life where he was constantly having to think ten steps ahead of everyone. He didn't think he wanted to have to work hard at his relationship; what was the point of being in a relationship if it was all hard work? It had taken a long time, but he finally understood, he was ready to start trying. "Yes, the next twelve days…no, no cards apart from this one tomorrow. I will be back in ten days with further instructions… thankyou", he paid the florist and left, quietly thinking to himself; if it had worked before, it would surely work now.

Austin, Texas

'Austin's Whirlwind Romance' Patricia read the morning newspaper as she drank her coffee, skipping forward to the society pages to catch any gossip she may have missed, her attention caught by the half-page story featuring a large picture of very familiar looking man and a less familiar woman. 'Sorry ladies, there's one less eligible bachelor in town today as Mr William 'Billy' Frampton III and his girlfriend of five months Miss Charlotte-Ann Richmond announced their engagement last night at the annual Daughters of the Alamo Midwinter Charity Ball…', reading once, then twice, it took a few seconds to sink in, but when it did her reaction wasn't unexpected.

Sue Ellen brushed her hair and dressed in her running clothes, intending to get in a little exercise before she had to eat breakfast with her family. "Sue Ellen Shepard!" she cringed as she heard her mother's voice, she could hear the anger and demand and knew that it was not going to be a pleasant morning like she had hoped. Checking her appearance one last time, she exited her bedroom and made her way downstairs.

"I don't think you quite understand; you aren't getting any younger, you're already past your social circle prime and the list of eligible men is getting smaller every day. Billy Frampton was perfect; he came from a very wealthy, very respectable family, he was very good to us, and he adored you. I will never understand why you had to be so difficult, but I accepted it, because you promised me that JR Ewing was the right man for you. Look where that got you", she shook her head and continued to speak. "I haven't asked lately, but I have eyes. I haven't seen JR in weeks, so I take it that my assumption is correct, you two are no longer an item", Sue Ellen didn't say anything, she really didn't want to explain how she and JR were right now. "I am very, very disappointed. This is going to take a long time to reverse; you'll be lucky if I can get you a husband under thirty-five"; Sue Ellen wasn't sure how much more she could take, she'd probably burst into tears if her mother kept talking like this. "Well… what have you got to say for yourself?" Patricia pressed her daughter for answers, she needed to know that it wasn't over between she and JR, he was their final good option and she was enjoying the benefits of the Ewing money already, she wasn't ready to give that up. "I…" Sue Ellen began to speak just as she heard the doorbell, she sighed in relief, "I'll get the door", she was glad, she'd been saved by the bell, she didn't even care if it was a salesman or some other annoying, unwanted guest, she was just happy to get away from the conversation with her mother.

Dallas, Texas

JR looked at his watch again, ten in the morning; the florist should have delivered the single yellow rose by now. He didn't expect her to call him, he had even said on the card that he was giving her time to think, so he didn't know why he was so anxious right now. He assumed that he was just nervous about her reaction, hoping that she took it as a compliment and nothing else; he really didn't have an ulterior motive, not today anyway.

"I've missed this", Julie sat across the table from him at the Cattlemen's Club, she looked beautiful and he was almost starting to rethink the reason why he'd brought her to lunch, "mm?" he wasn't sure what she was referring to, but he was sure that she wouldn't be happy at the end of the meal. "This, us, you, me, out in public. Of course, I love our little private rendezvous, but I miss just having meals together, or going shopping, or even just walking down the street. I'm so happy right now". JR immediately felt a pain, his stomach dropping, his body telling him that he needed to just say it, "actually, that's what I've been meaning to talk to you about, that's why we're here…" Julie's face dropped as he began to speak and she was holding back tears by the time he finished. How could one woman have so much power over him? Sue Ellen wasn't even in the same city and she was controlling his thoughts and actions; Sue Ellen Shepard was the worst thing to happen to JR Ewing in a long time, except no one saw it but her. She hated her, but no one would understand, even if she tried to explain it; Sue Ellen had everyone brainwashed and she couldn't do anything to stop it.

To be continued…