Dallas, Texas

Watching JR from across the room, Jack briefly wondered if perhaps he had been wrong about his cousin when he'd assumed he was like a boring old man, set in his ways and unable to accept that anyone younger than himself had anything worthwhile to say. From what he could tell, JR had two distinct personalities, the uptight jerk and the charming, confident man. The unpleasant, rude, arrogant, jealous side of him appeared to be more prominent, or it was when he was facing just about any family situation that didn't directly involve his wife or son. It appeared he did have another side though, he seemed to have a way with words, or perhaps just money, he wasn't quite sure yet, but either way, not everyone he encountered seemed to think he was unpleasant. Everywhere they went, JR managed to get them exactly what they wanted quickly and to the highest standard, without more than a few words, a smile, and a handshake, and to Jack, it felt like although he and Bobby were younger and in his opinion better looking, JR received just as much female attention as they did. To him it was plain weird that young pretty girls even gave a second glance to a man like JR, especially one with JR's personality everywhere but here, not to mention the wedding band on his finger, when they were in the company of a number of equally young, handsome men. To him it just seemed strange that JR managed to command such interest whatever group they were in, in his eyes JR was at the very least more 'mature' and married, what interest that held for women was beyond him. It wasn't really his problem though, he was certainly enjoying the 'new' charming, friendly, relaxed JR, and he wasn't deprived of any attention himself, so while it puzzled him that his cousin could be two different people, he didn't think it was worth dwelling on for too long.

Across the room, unaware of his younger cousin's attention, JR Ewing leaned forward slightly as he made casual conversation with the hostess he'd chosen to be responsible for his group's needs that evening; money could buy just about anything, but it was charm when exchanging that money that guaranteed the remaining percentage of options were his for the taking. It had been a while since he had done things as he was now, off the cuff, without careful pre-planning, it was rare nowadays for him to be thrown into business social functions without notice, that was Bobby's domain, and in his personal life he liked Sue Ellen to have the best of everything, so organization usually trumped spontaneity. Tonight, moving around from club to club seemed to be the name of the game, it was Bobby's idea of showing Jack what Dallas had to offer, to him personally it was simply an opportunity to remind himself and everyone else of what JR Ewing had to offer and having a little fun while he did so. Despite what Jack seemed to think, he was not old, nor was he unaware of the pressures of Bobby's life or the pleasures being in his position brought to his life. Jack was a new arrival in Dallas so he could be forgiven for thinking that of him, he had only ever seen him as a serious vice president, husband, and father, not the man he had been earlier in his life, the man who indulged in everything his job and social position had to offer him. Jack had judged him and he was looking forward to seeing him realise his errors; he could be a committed husband, father, and businessman while also enjoying the small pleasures life had to offer outside the home or office.

Proving Jack's assumptions about him wrong wasn't really the biggest motivator of the evening though, he had much more personal things on his mind. It had actually been a fairly long time since he had just gone out socially, without Sue Ellen, and while he loved his wife and had no intention of breaking his marriage vows, he also didn't intend to live his life as if there was nothing beyond the walls of his home or the office. Doctor Williams had correctly noted that he lacked friends, a fact that rarely bothered him, but created a number of inconveniences when it came to finding social activities that he could participate in away from Sue Ellen, not that he actually sought such things most of the time. Being with Bobby and Jack tonight was different, but nice, for the first time in a long time, he was actually relaxing in the company of men close to his own age for purely social reasons, and for the first time in a long time, he had his father's full support in doing so. It was stupid that his father's opinion held such weight in his life, but it did, and it pleased him when his father was pleased with him, which he was now, because he was making an effort with his brother and cousin, while also acting like a proper husband and father in his home life. His father had some weird double standards, he had been known to tell him to use whatever means necessary to secure what he wanted and what would benefit Ewing Oil, but then later reprimand him for not behaving as a married man should. He had also been known to scoff at the marriage he and Sue Ellen had now, one built on mutual respect and satisfaction. Most of his father's disapproval of his lifestyle was in the past though which made his life a bit easier, though it was never completely smooth sailing; for now, his effort with Bobby and Jack pleased his father, which pleased him, as irritating as that fact was.

"…anything we can do for you Mr Ewing…" observing the way the pretty young girl behind the bar smiled and leaned forward, matching his pose, inadvertently, or more likely deliberately, providing him with a better view, he knew it was time to cut their conversation short. Married or not, there was a difference between those who worked in bars and clubs and those who patronized them and unless he had arranged for a set of hired girls to play hostess for the evening, he generally did not cross the line in that respect. "I'll keep that in mind that honey. Now, I'd best be getting back, but you remember, you keep us happy tonight and you'll go home happy too…" grinning, he casually, handed her a small stack of folded notes before nodding and turning, walking away from the bar back toward Bobby and Jack. If the girl had any sense she would listen to him, just like women everywhere listened to him when he grinned, spoke with confidence, and of course, showed he was good for the service he was demanding; likewise, if Bobby and Jack were smart, they would allow things to keep progressing as they were, allowing him some control. Things just worked better when he was in control, he didn't really care about where they were, as long as he felt like someone was listening to him, which so far, he did. As for his companions, he couldn't believe he was thinking it, but Bobby wasn't half-bad after a few drinks and in the absence of their father, and even Jack was beginning to grow on him. He wasn't completely in the clear yet, because his whole story regarding his presence in Dallas was shady, but on a personal level, when he wasn't throwing jibes at him or trying too hard to impress, he wasn't unbearable. It would be far too hasty and simplistic to come to a conclusion about anything just yet, but no longer did it seem impossible to even fathom a future where their relationship was anything more than tolerating each other.

To be continued…

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