Dallas, Texas

"Drink?" closing the office door behind them, JR made a polite offer.

"No, thank you", shaking her head, she allowed him to escort her across the room, taking a seat in the leather chair he directed her to.

Watching him walk around the other side of the desk to sit down himself, she took the opportunity to ask the question that had been on her mind since arriving, "where's Bobby?"

Studying her, he took his time before responding, "how do you know my brother?"

Smarter than to give him everything he was looking for before he gave her anything she was looking for, she shook her head again, "I asked you a question first".

"Bobby is indisposed at present."

Revealing very little about what was wrong, she knew enough from her research to assume that grief played a factor in Bobby's absence from the office.

"I'm sorry to hear that", showing appropriate compassion, she paused for a moment before continuing, "do you know when he might be well enough to see me?"

Chuckling, unexpected for the conversation they'd had so far, JR redirected the conversation again, "first you answer my question. How do you know my brother?"

Confused by his demeanour, she answered the question honestly, "I don't".

"So why the need for a meeting?" leaning back in his chair, he appeared sceptical that her request held any importance now.

Not impressed by the way he was treating her she continued with the game he'd started, "if we're swapping questions for answers, it's your turn".

"Bobby isn't ill, he's just not in a condition to be taking social calls", all but confirming Bobby's state of grief, he again gave her very little extra to work with.

"He'll want to hear from me", assuming a lot seeing as she didn't know Bobby personally at all, only what was written of him, she wanted to meet him to find out for herself.

Looking her over again, he didn't hesitate to respond, "yes, I expect in different circumstances he might, but not right now".

"I'm not here to upset him", meaning what she said, she reassured him she had a heart.

"Why are you here then?" asking again, he expected a lot from her while offering nothing in return.

"Why do you need to know that?" annoyed, she could almost see his perspective, he was protecting his brother's privacy and probably had to considering his family was much like her own as far business and pleasure mixing in the public sphere at times, but in the process he was alienating well-meaning people like her.

"Look, as much as I'm enjoying this game of twenty questions, I am a very busy man and I think it'd serve us both well if you told me what you want and I do the same for you", making an offer to cooperate, his proposal still had her revealing her hand first.

"I'm not sure you have what I want", returning to her original point, she didn't feel like cooperating with him just to satisfy his interest in the situation.

"I know how to contact Bobby", likely assuming she didn't know much more than Bobby was a Ewing therefore Ewing Oil was where to find him, he answered her question as if she'd immediately cave and give him what he wanted in order to hear what he had to say.

"So do I, I found my way here after deciding coming to your home might be a little too friendly", revealing a little of the research she'd done she expected him to react, but if he was surprised, he didn't show it.

"Bobby's not spending much time at home these days", dismissing her alternative plan, he again gave her little else to work with.

"If it's not Bobby, it'll be someone else", considering she'd attempted to contact Cliff first, she was sure there were other people in Pam's life that could lead her to the information she sought.

"That someone should be me, you'll want me as an ally", grinning, he appeared to think very highly of himself.

"What I want with Bobby has nothing to do with you so I don't think I need you as an ally", straight-faced, she put him back in his place in her plan, off to the side, unimportant to achieving her end goal.

"Thinking that is a mistake", using a serious tone, his point lacked effectiveness considering she didn't really need allies, she wasn't going to war.

"You're used to getting your own way, aren't you?" not matching his seriousness, she made a friendly judgement about his life.

"Yes", looking a little thrown by her refusal to accept his offer, he responded with a simple, one word answer.

"So am I", shrugging, she couldn't deny they shared that particular trait. She was, or at least she'd been raised as an only child, so she'd never had to compete at home, but in school and her extracurricular activities she liked to be in control and that meant working hard to get what she wanted.

Chuckling, he answered, "I'm not surprised".

"You said you were a busy man, I should be going", pleased they'd found some common ground, she still didn't feel he was any use to her now.

"Not so fast", putting a hand out, he revealed his commitment to their conversation, although whether he was going to assist her if she assisted him was still unclear.

"What now?" sitting still, she left it up to him to continue the conversation.

"What use is Bobby to you?" asking again he surely thought she was stupid if he assumed she'd just reveal her intentions because he'd restated the question.

Maintaining a straight face, she asked the obvious question, "what part of my refusal to tell you that didn't you understand the first time?"

"I'm just looking out for my brother's interests", explaining his position, all he really did was deflect again.

"And I'm just looking out for mine", if he was going to help her then she might help him, but if not, they had nothing further to discuss.

"You still haven't said exactly what those interests are", raising an eyebrow, he attempted to lead her into an explanation.

Laughing at the way he was looking at her, she gave him something to think about, "I love that you're so desperate to know, it's doesn't affect you in the slightest and I'm sure it won't particularly interest you either".

Apparently hooked on hearing the information she was holding back from him, he made a motion with his hand as if to hand the conversation back over to her, saying, "try me".

"Fine, since you're so curious, I will. But I want a promise from you that you'll assist me in return", amused by his interest, she wasn't naïve enough to hand everything over without first getting his agreement that it would be mutually beneficial.

"If it's good for Bobby", nodding, he put a condition on their arrangement, reiterating again that his brother's wellbeing was his concern.

Considering his request, she knew things were complicated, which is what she told him, "that's just it, it's not Bobby personally that I'm interested in, it's his late wife that holds my attention".

"Pamela?" saying her name aloud, this time he genuinely sounded surprised by something she had to say.

Nodding, she confirmed they were generally on the same page. She had her reasons for wanting to speak to Bobby and they weren't because she knew much about him personally.

"You're wrong then", continuing, he was the one who was making surprising comments now.

"Wrong?" unsure what he was getting at, she asked for clarification.

Looking away, he met her eye again a few seconds later, his blue eyes locking on hers as he explained himself, "I'd like to know more, Pamela was a very important member of our family".

To be continued…