Corpus Christi, Texas

"Oh JR, isn't this lovely" Sue Ellen looked out at the ocean as JR struggled with his horse, "mhm, lovely. Darlin' wouldn't you be happier walking?" Sue Ellen looked over at him and wasn't sure whether to laugh or cringe, as much as he had protested to hiring horses and riding down Malaquite Beach, she had assumed that he would get over his dislike once they were actually riding, but so far, he didn't seem to be enjoying it very much. "JR" she softened, "we can go back to the stables, return the horses and then walk down the beach if you'd prefer that", she didn't want him to really hate their afternoon, it was supposed to be fun, not a chore. "No, no, you love horseback riding, and that's what we're doing", he shifted his weight, clicked his tongue and squeezed his legs to change the horse's gait; if they were going to ride, it was going to be fast, at least that was exciting. Sue Ellen watched him as rode ahead of her; he was so confusing sometimes, but if he was offering, then she certainly wasn't going to protest, this was what she wanted anyway.

"Bourbon and branch for me, white wine for the lady", JR ordered their drinks and turned his attention back to their dinner conversation; Sue Ellen sighed happily, she was having a wonderful time so far, JR was in full romantic mode and she loved it. She smiled as she remembered his words as they'd arrived in Corpus Christi, "darlin' think of this as our honeymoon before our honeymoon", she had laughed to herself, maybe Paula was right, maybe JR was planning on trying to seduce her tonight. Normally that thought would have caused her to panic a little more, but she was trying harder to relax a little bit, they were going to be married and there were things they could do as a couple that didn't go beyond the boundaries she had set for herself. Maybe tonight, if she could relax a little more, she would let him go a little further than they usually did, maybe she'd give him a reward for being the best fiancé in the world, he deserved it. They continued their general talk, mostly JR telling her about many of his business achievements, not detailing exactly how he did things, but giving enough information that she was impressed and vaguely turned-on by the power that he possessed. Sue Ellen hadn't realised it when she was younger, but money and power made a man so much more attractive, just knowing that he could make seemingly impossible things happen was a very appealing quality. JR was quick to see how interested she was in his business life, they really were a perfect match, she would be a very understanding wife, she already seemed to realise how important Ewing Oil was to him. "Now that's what I like to see", JR's eyes lit up at the big, juicy steak and Sue Ellen laughed, it was true, the quickest way to make a man happy was to feed him well; well perhaps it wasn't the quickest, but it was the most publicly acceptable way. "How's your fish darlin'?" he realised halfway through his dinner that she'd hardly said anything, "it's delicious; you know, we are on the coast, you should have ordered seafood just for the experience", she laughed as she finished speaking, almost knowing word for word what his reply would be. "Come on now darlin', you should know by now that when there's steak on the menu, nothing else exists", she giggled, it was close enough.

After finishing their dinner, JR took her dancing, choosing a club where the music was traditional and not too contemporary; he wasn't a big fan of public dancing unless it was formal, it was a personal hang-up, he never liked to feel uncomfortable, especially in front of a woman. Sue Ellen realised that she was learning new things about JR every day, little actions gave hints about his upbringing; he had no problem dancing to modern music when they were alone, but as soon as they were at a public club, he was more rigid and uptight, suggesting that they get a drink every time a fast song played. She didn't know why, but it was as if he was afraid of being too casual, though she didn't know why, it wasn't as if they were going to run into anyone they knew in Corpus Christi. She didn't ask, feeling that JR was the type of man to tell her things on his own terms, and he didn't enjoy being pushed for answers; they were having a good time dancing and drinking and she wasn't going to ruin the night by asking awkward questions about his past.

New Orleans, Louisiana

"Oh Paula, I don't know what I did wrong. It's as if he wants me but then when he's actually presented with the opportunity, he doesn't want me, I just don't understand him sometimes", Sue Ellen was almost in tears as she remembered how their romantic weekend had gone so wrong. She had thought that by offering him something more, he'd be pleased, but instead he seemed angry and disappointed. "Sue Ellen, please, explain exactly what happened, because I'm just as confused as you seem to be", Paula hated seeing her friend like this and she didn't understand it either. She'd suggested that Sue Ellen be a little more open, not completely giving-in, but not acting so uptight, she and JR were engaged to be married after all, it wasn't completely ridiculous to assume that they would further their relationship. She thought that she was helping Sue Ellen by suggesting a few intimate things that couples could do that didn't involve going all the way, and from what she'd heard about JR, it seemed like a good suggestion, but for some reason, Sue Ellen's efforts had failed miserably. Sue Ellen explained their activities for the day, up until they left the club and arrived back at the hotel, "…so there we were, it was fun, it was relaxed, it seemed like a good time to do something nice for him after he spent all day doing nice things for me. Of course, I was a little nervous, I've never done that before, not even for Clint and he actually asked me to once, but I said no", Paula listened, not surprised that Sue Ellen had rejected Clint's advances. Back in their early college years, Sue Ellen was the most morally obedient girl she'd ever met, it was only from being in college and being friends with Paula that she learned to loosen-up a little bit. Paula nodded, prompting Sue Ellen to continue with her story, "so we were getting closer and closer to that point, and that's where I'd normally push him away or gently redirect his attention, but instead, I did as you told me to. He didn't seem to mind my attention until right at the last minute, just when I was about to… he switched personalities, he… he called me a tramp, and then he pushed me away", she started to cry as she finished telling the story. Paula stood and moved closer to Sue Ellen as she began to cry, hugging her and telling her that everything was going to be ok. Secretly though she was just as confused as Sue Ellen was, in her own personal experience, men almost never turned away from that kind of attention, especially eager men like JR Ewing, she had never thought he would be the prudish type, every story she'd ever heard about JR was the opposite. "I don't understand what I did wrong, I thought he'd like it", Sue Ellen continued to cry, just needing to let out her emotions, it was the first time since it happened that she'd really spoken about it. She'd run back to her hotel room and cried herself to sleep before JR woke her up the next morning and explained that he was just protecting her, but he never explained what he was protecting her from or why he had acted so harshly; they'd flown back to Austin later that morning and hadn't spoken since then. She'd called Paula in tears and had gotten on the first flight out of Austin that night, needing to talk to someone before she really turned self-destructive, she was self-aware enough to realise that she always turned to alcohol when she felt bad, but living in her mother's house, drinking herself out of her problems wasn't really an option. Paula hugged Sue Ellen as she cried herself out and eventually fell asleep; she watched her sleeping friend and began to wonder who JR Ewing really was, because every time she tried to guess, she was wrong.

Dallas, Texas

JR buttoned his shirt and left a few hundred-dollar bills on the bedside table. He couldn't work out why he felt so strange, the events of the previous night had really shaken him, it was as if Sue Ellen wasn't who he thought she was, and he didn't know how to deal with that or how he even felt about it. It wasn't that he had a problem with other women doing those sort of things, but not women like Sue Ellen, it just wasn't right, it wasn't ladylike and he didn't like it.

To be continued…