Dallas, Texas

"Congratulations Bobby", Sue Ellen handed him the small gift-wrapped box and card before she sat down next to her husband again, "thank you Sue Ellen, JR", Bobby nodded as he read the card before unwrapping and opening the box. "Wow", he whispered as he removed the leather watch from the box, it fit his style perfectly, the silver face was sleek and refined, but the brown leather strap added a touch of casualness to it, it was a perfect all occasion watch, suitable for the ranch and the office. Sue Ellen watched as he opened the box and examined the gift, she'd spent over an hour in the store trying to choose just the right one to suit Bobby's personality and needs, and she would be devastated if he didn't like it. "I love it, thank you", Bobby stood and kissed Sue Ellen on the cheek and shook hands with JR before moving on to the next gift. An hour later, they finished the celebratory cake and Lucy excused herself upstairs, the rest of the family slowly following, it had been a long day with and everyone was tired. "Bobby loved your gift darlin'", JR kissed Sue Ellen as he got into bed, "our gift JR. I bought it, but you gave me the idea", she didn't know why, but she never could just take a compliment, she always felt like she had to say something in return. "Hm, so I did", he grinned, he loved when she made little confidence-boosting comments, it was nice to know that he was the authority and he held the decision-making power in their relationship. They lay in silence for a moment before he spoke again, "what kind of watch would you choose for me?" he was genuinely curious, she'd bought him gifts before, for Christmas and his birthday, and occasionally just because she was thinking about him, but she'd never bought him a watch. Sue Ellen closed her eyes, "white gold face with a silver dial and stainless steel band; expensive and masculine. At first glance, it would appear simple and you'd wonder why that one was special, but there would be something about it that just drew your attention and held it. Looking a little closer, you would see the small details, the quality and workmanship that make the watch so unique and worth every penny. While the other watches in the store would have all of those features cluttering up the face, this watch would have a nice, clean appearance; style and sophistication at first glance, the complexities and intricacies only apparent on closer examination", she finished speaking, her tone of voice having changed from normal to dreamy and whimsical. JR was stunned as she described the watch, he knew the way she shopped, but he'd never heard her thought process like that, she had a certain way of speaking, almost in metaphors, personifying and analysing something in a way that he himself never did. He smiled to himself as she spoke, she was describing him and he enjoyed hearing those little thoughts, "sounds perfect"; Sue Ellen opened her eyes and looked at him, he was looking at her with so much love and adoration that she couldn't help but kiss him, she couldn't believe how lucky she was to have him for her husband. "I love you", she whispered as she pulled away, "I love you too", he wasn't ready to let her go, instead wrapping his arms around her and kissing her again before gently rolling them over and giving her the intimate love and attention that she deserved.

"To Ewing Oil, a truly family owned and operated company", Jock raised his glass and JR and Bobby followed; it was Bobby's first official day at Ewing Oil and Jock saw it as a momentous occasion, he was thrilled that his sons would one day run the company together, and his legacy would live on. Bobby smiled widely as his father welcomed him into the company and even JR didn't seem too upset, in his mind he knew that Jock wasn't a fool, he wouldn't let his inexperienced, young son run anything of real importance, no matter how much he favoured him, it just wouldn't be good for the business. JR was aware of Bobby's potential to have an impact, and would keep an eye on the new situation, but he wasn't too worried, Bobby wasn't competent or sneaky enough to try anything underhanded to move up through the ranks, JR felt secure in the knowledge that his job and position in the company was safe, at least for now. They finished their drinks and Bobby went to pour another before JR stopped him, "I'd better not; if you'll excuse me, I have work to be getting back to", he wouldn't have minded drinking all afternoon, but he did have an actual job, with real responsibilities. Bobby was a little confused, JR didn't normally say no to another drink, though he realised that he'd never really known him in a business capacity, things were a lot more serious at the office than they were at Southfork or a bar. "I suppose I'd better get back to work too", Bobby excused himself from Jock's office to a smaller room that had been converted into an office for him, it would do for now until they figured out a permanent title and location for him.

An hour later, Bobby stood and left his office to get a cup of coffee, walking past Jock's office, he heard voices and realised that there was some kind of meeting going on inside, one that he hadn't been informed of or invited to. He continued walking and waited in the reception area while Julie made him a cup of coffee, his first day wasn't as exciting as he'd expected it to be, he didn't really enjoy analysing maps and statistics, but his father insisted that he continue to learn the basics before he did anything else. He thought back to his summer work experience, he'd thought that the physical and social side of the job was more enjoyable and interesting than the theory, he'd liked visiting the oil fields and schmoozing with potential business partners, it was a lot more exciting than the dry reading that he was currently doing. "I'll see you gentlemen next week", Jock and JR's meeting ended and they walked into the reception area to show the men out, "Bobby", Jock noticed his youngest son's presence and decided that it was a good time to introduce him. He hadn't quite gotten used to including Bobby since it was only his first day, he'd forgotten to invite him to join the meeting to observe real business dealings, and JR hadn't said anything either, whether intentional or not, Jock wasn't sure, but on his part, it was an honest mistake. JR watched as Julie stood and waited for Bobby to finish his conversation before she handed him a cup of coffee. He couldn't help but roll his eyes at the situation, it was only Bobby's first day and already he was lazing around the office drinking coffee and chatting to the secretaries instead of studying and working hard to learn everything about the oil business. JR said his goodbyes and returned to his office, he was almost relieved at the realisation that he really had nothing to worry about, there was no way that their father would see some great potential in Bobby and promote him to anything meaningful and important, Bobby was there for one reason and one reason only, he was a Ewing.

To be continued…