Sly walked away from the photocopier, several sheets of paper in hand. She smiled conspiratorially as she approached her colleague's desk. "Look at this?" Phyllis looked up from what she was doing and accepted what was being offered. "Is this it?" she asked. Sly nodded.

"This is what he has been working on the last few days. He wouldn't let me help him until it came to making the bookings." Phyllis grinned widely. "I still can't quite believe it but then…" Sly took her seat behind her usual desk. "Go on" she urged. "JR isn't due in until later. He has a meeting at the bank."

Phyllis scrutinised the itinerary, leafing through the sheets and paying particular attention to the hotel reservations. "He's pulling out all the stops, isn't he?" she asked. Sly nodded firmly. "No expense spared and they are going to be away for just over a month. It's the trip of a lifetime. You were about to say?"

Phyllis shook her head. "It's none of our business, Sly. We may spend Monday to Friday with JR and Bobby but…" "Oh come on, you must have a view about all of this. Who is it harming if we keep it between ourselves?"

Phyllis rose and moved to the percolator. "Coffee?" she asked, holding the jug aloft. Sly nodded. Delivering her cup, she perched on the end of the desk. "Their relationship has always been, well, I guess complicated would be the most diplomatic way to describe it."

"I've been here long enough to work that out! I just can't understand what has prompted the reconciliation this time and the trip- it's just not like him" Sly countered, a hint of irritation with her colleague evident in her tone. "You want my theory on it?" Phyllis asked. "They have always loved each other and always will. They're destined to be together and, deep down, they both know it." "So, why are they so beastly to each other? Their last separation was nothing short of awful. I never imagined that they would come back from it."

Phyllis shook her head. "Do you want to know something else? I reckon he loves her more than she loves him. She's his weakness." Sly shook her head incredulously. "Then why would he treat her in the way he has?" "Because he wanted it all" Phyllis answered phlegmatically, taking a sip from her cup. "And he thought he could have it and there wouldn't be any consequences. Perhaps, finally, he realises that she is all he actually wants."

Sly stared at Phyllis. "If this vacation is anything to judge by, you could be right?" Phyllis nodded emphatically. "I've seen a lot over the years and, while I haven't worked closely with JR, I've seen enough to convince me that Sue Ellen is the only woman for him. He's never going to let her go."

Sly drained her cup as she contemplated what she had just been told. "You said that you think he loves her more than she loves him?" she asked. "Think about it- they've been divorced twice and, each time, he's hated it, done everything in his power to get her back. The first time could have been put down to the fact that he lost custody of John Ross, although I never really bought that. This time that argument doesn't apply because his son spends more time at Southfork than with his mama. Seems to me that no matter how badly he behaved, there has always been real love for her. I imagine she understands him and the way he ticks far better than anyone else and that must count for a great deal."

Sly inserted the itinerary into a large envelope, sealed it and addressed it to her boss. "I must put this on his desk. For you and I, Phyllis, this sort of vacation is just a dream." Phyllis chuckled quietly before settling back to work. Never a dull day at Ewing Oil she mused.

Across town, at the Valentine headquarters, Sue Ellen stared at the pile of paperwork that awaited her attention. She sighed as she tackled the first piece of correspondence, an advertising contract with a ladies' fashion magazine. She attempted to study its terms but couldn't concentrate. Moving to the window, she gazed out across the Dallas skyline and thought about the events of the last few days.

Thinking about their forthcoming trip, she felt a mixture of excitement and apprehension. Things had been going well between her and JR but there was one further step that they had not yet taken, going to bed with him. In accordance with her wishes, they were taking things slowly but she knew that was going to have to change.

It wasn't that she didn't want him, the reverse was true. She wanted him just as much as he wanted her and he had not been shy about letting her know. Whilst respectful of her feelings, he had come dangerously close to managing to seduce her after dinner last night. She smiled to herself as she recalled extracting herself from him gently but firmly before closing the door on him with the promise that she would see him again tomorrow.

The reality was that she was scared of the effect that she knew he had on her. Going to bed and making love would seal the deal, she reflected, and there would be no going back. Of all the men she had ever loved, or thought she loved, none of them had ever made her feel the way JR did. Loving JR was as much, if not more, of an addiction than alcohol where she was concerned and, whilst she had no doubts about her feelings for him, the prospect of completely letting go still frightened her.

She walked back to her desk and tried to focus. This time it would be okay, she reassured herself. Better than that. This time she and JR would be really happy and what better way to start than having him all to herself far away from Dallas?

Tbc