Dallas, Texas

"You'll meet a lot of people, Marilee being one of them, but take it from me, she's is not worth the trouble, so don't even think about it. She might seem it when you really need to close a deal, she has a direct line to Seth and her daddy, but you're making a deal with the devil there, it'll follow you around forever, like a disease. If you're going to mix business and pleasure there are far more pliable women to do it with than Marilee, she thinks too much like a man, she wants in on what we're selling and she'll kick back if she doesn't like it". Sharing his wisdom with Jack as they played blackjack, JR found himself more relaxed than he previously had been; it was nice to finally be a part of a conversation where he felt like he actually had something to offer rather than simply being polite and attempting to be friendly. Outdoorsy things and winning friends because of his personality, not his name or money, just weren't topics he could actually speak about confidently when Bobby was around, because in all honesty, Bobby was the more athletic, more friendly, sociable brother when the two of them were compared to each other. He played the game well enough, he had to with the life he lived, he wasn't incapable of communicating with people on a genuine level, it was just not as natural for him as it was Bobby, unless of course the topic of conversation was business or women, then he was plenty comfortable with.

That wasn't to say Bobby didn't have anything to add to conversations about women, he was popular with the ladies of Dallas and half of the job he was employed to do involved him using women to his advantage in some way, it was just that in comparison to earlier conversations, this was where JR felt most comfortable. He and Bobby were always in competition with each other, or it felt like it anyway, but oddly, women seemed to be one area that rarely felt like they were working against each other. They didn't have the same taste in women, Bobby's interest in the Barnes girl told him that, but their age difference and the difference in the stages of their sexual and romantic lives was wide enough that there was little overlap anyway. In the conversation they were having, what little overlap existed was easy to agree on too, because although Bobby never had and never would sleep with Marilee Hurst, now Stone, he absolutely agreed with JR's perception of her, besides her personality though, she was married and that was not a zone he would recommend or condone Jack entering with anyone.

"JR's right about that; at work there's a game you have to play, but Marilee Stone is not someone to play it with; mixing business and pleasure can be fun, but you have to think carefully first, sometimes it's not worth the trouble. Who you choose to spend your free time with outside of work is fair game, though I still wouldn't recommend choosing someone like Marilee; Dallas is not a small town, there are plenty of pretty, single, liberated woman with an appetite for sex and little more if that's what you desire. Married or not, JR has the inside knowledge on who's doing who and what in the business world, but if you're looking for what I think you're looking for, something casual and fun, without anything else thrown in, just trust your instincts, or follow me". Adding to what JR had already said, Bobby made sure to acknowledge that Jack didn't actually seem to have trouble picking up women, because he didn't want him to feel as if he was being patronising. JR was right in answering as he had though, there were women he was going to meet in his life now and some of them were going to be tempting to pursue, knowing which ones were ok to pursue was a skill though, and knowing beforehand who to avoid would serve him well.

"Oh, I know all about those liberated women", chuckling to himself as he spoke, it was clear that Jack's prior comments about his social experiences in Dallas so far meant exactly what they all assumed they meant; Jack was plenty capable of socialising on his own, all he was looking for from them was some advice and friendship. "Say, while you're both here, what about Julie? You know, Jock's secretary. A bit older than my usual taste, but I won't hold that against her". Listening to Jack as he continued to speak, Bobby laughed aloud, not at the question itself, but at JR's facial expression. It was no secret that JR and Julie had been lovers at one point, regrettably even after JR had made a commitment to Sue Ellen, but apparently Jack hadn't yet received that memo and now JR was going to have to explain. "Speaking of women who'll haunt you forever", muttering a few words in response, it was clear what JR meant, though from Jack's raised eyebrow and smirk, he wanted to hear JR say it more clearly. "What was that JR?" fishing for an answer, he made eye contact with Bobby who shrugged as if to say it was for JR to explain.

"Well Jack, you're young, so let's just put it this way; one day, in the distant future, you're going to meet a real lady, the kind of woman you marry and have children with, she's the lady who accepts that you have a past but has no past of her own. Now, if you avoid associating too closely with women like Julie, women who are just that little bit too close for comfort after you end your association, you'll save yourself from having to explain things you should never have to explain to a lady. Take it from me, lady is not synonymous with docile and your future marriage will be a whole lot happier if there are no reminders of your previous dalliances in the life you both share". Explaining around the question, JR was surprised by how much he had actually gained from marriage counselling with Doctor Williams, he had just given advice for a happy marriage based on his own mistakes and experiences, considering feelings other than his own when doing so. Still though, something inside him was just itching to say it; Bobby would never go near a woman he'd previously been with, he knew that, but Jack, he was still new to him and he didn't really know him yet, so he didn't know if he had the same 'rule'. "If that's not enough though, ask yourself, do you really want to go to bed with a woman knowing you're being directly compared to me?" smirking as he spoke, he felt satisfied. He could be considerate of Sue Ellen's feelings while still maintaining the image he had held before he'd met her; he was a new JR, but he wasn't completely different.

To be continued…