Chapter 4
Dinner at Southfork was always interesting and tonight was no different. With such strong personalities at one table there was bound to be some sniping and fussing. Often the sniping and fussing was between J.R. and Bobby, and tonight was no different. Bobby was fussing at J.R. but unlike other nights J.R. wasn't rising to Bobby's baiting. His attention was on other things, specifically the woman seated next to him.
"J.R., Bobby asked you a question," said Miss Ellie, noticing her son wasn't paying attention.
J.R. looked up surprised. "I'm sorry Mama, what did you say?"
"I said Bobby asked you a question. Is there something the matter J.R.?" Miss Ellie asked.
Normally J.R. was attentive at dinner but tonight he seemed to be concentrating only on one thing or in this case person. It seemed his entire attention was on Sue Ellen. Miss Ellie had noticed J.R.'s gaze never strayed far from Sue Ellen and she recognized the look in J.R.'s eyes. She had seen those same look in Jock's eyes often during their long marriage. Could it be that J.R. was finally admitting to himself that Sue Ellen was the only woman for him? Miss Ellie hoped so. She really did. If anyone deserved to find true happiness and love, it was her volatile oldest child.
"No Mama, there is…," began J.R. only to be interrupted by Bobby.
"J.R.'s probably thinking about his newest…," began Bobby.
"That's quite enough Bobby," admonished Miss Ellie. "J.R. obviously has some things on his mind." Turning her attention back to J.R., Miss Ellie asked, "Is there anything you want to talk about, J.R.?"
"Umm….no Mama…nothing," replied J.R.. "If you'll excuse me…," he said, waiting on his Mama's permission to leave the table. Miss Ellie nodded. J.R. stood, stepped back then leaned over and placed a kiss to Miss Ellie's cheek, something he hadn't done in years and left the dining room.
Sue Ellen laid her napkin on the side of her plate. "If you'll excuse me Miss Ellie, I'll just go…," she waved in the direction of J.R..
"Good idea, Sue Ellen. You go on and see if J.R. needs anything," said Miss Ellie. Miss Ellie's emphasis on the word need caused Sue Ellen to look at the Ewing matriarch curiously. Miss Ellie gave Sue Ellen a soft warm smile in return. Placing a kiss to John Ross's hair, Sue Ellen told him to enjoy his dessert, before she left the dining room in pursuit of his daddy.
Miss Ellie caught the curious look of Clayton's. Making sure no one was watching, she smiled and silently mouthed 'later'. Clayton nodded; knowing Ellie would explain what she thought was going on later.
Sue Ellen found J.R. standing outside leaning against one of the patio columns, deep in thought. Walking up behind him, she put her arms around him. "Penny for your thoughts," she whispered in his ear.
Chuckling, J.R. turned around, slipped his arms around Sue Ellen's waist and said, "I figured they be worth a bit more than that, darlin'."
Sliding her arms up to his shoulders than around his neck she whispered, "Oh they are, but I figured I start the bidding low and go from there."
"Is that a fact?" he said, pulling her closer. He bent his head toward hers, his lips stopping just shy of hers.
"Hmm…mmm…," she purred, reaching up and closing the distance between their lips. She sighed at the feel of his lips on hers. 'I love kissing him,' she thought as she lost herself in the kiss. She ended the kiss gently, not in the least surprised when J.R. tried to coax her into another kiss. Sue Ellen placed a finger to J.R.'s lips. "Nyuh…uh...," she said. "No more kissing until you tell me what has Bobby so riled up. What did you do to him?" asked Sue Ellen.
"I didn't do nothin' darlin'," said J.R..
Sue Ellen gave J.R. that look. J.R. sighed and loosened his hold on Sue Ellen.
"All right, I might have slammed him against a wall in the conference room. And I might have threatened him just a little bit, but that was all. I swear," said J.R..
Sue Ellen looked at J.R. in disbelief. "J.R., you can't just slam Bobby into a wall and threaten him," she hissed angrily.
"I can when he makes disparaging remarks about my wife," J.R. replied mulishly.
"What remarks?" asked Sue Ellen, finding it difficult to believe Bobby would insult her.
"I don't want to talk about it," said J.R. stubbornly, releasing Sue Ellen. J.R. crossed his arms over his chest, turned around and leaned against the pillar once again, a stubborn look on his face. Determined to find out what Bobby said, Sue Ellen walked around J.R.. Facing him she put her hand on his crossed arms and asked once more, "What remarks?"
"Just leave it darlin'," he growled.
"I will not leave it. I want to know what remarks Bobby made about me and I want to know now," demanded Sue Ellen. "And if you don't tell me, I'll just walk back inside and ask Bobby to tell me," threatened Sue Ellen.
J.R. looked at Sue Ellen, and then averted his gaze.
"J.R. Ewing, look at me," Sue Ellen demanded. When J.R. didn't look at her, Sue Ellen glared at him. "Fine," she hissed angrily. "Then I guess I'll just march inside and demand Bobby tell me what he said since you refuse to," she added, moving to do just that.
J.R.'s hand stopped her. Looking back at him, Sue Ellen waited. "All right, I'll tell ya," J.R. relented. "But don't get mad at me when I do," he said.
Covering his hand with hers she replied, "I promise I won't get angry at you. Now what did he say that caused you to bounce him off the wall?"
"We were having a meeting, discussing the Montgomery fields and others when I…," began J.R..
"Go on," encouraged Sue Ellen.
J.R. rubbed the back of his neck nervously. Sue Ellen tried not to smile at his action. J.R. only rubbed his neck when he was embarrassed about something, an action Miss Ellie said he had often did when he was younger. It was one of the things that endeared him to her, the little boy inside this powerful man.
"Then what?" asked Sue Ellen.
J.R. continued to rub his neck, looked down at the ground and back up at Sue Ellen. "I sort of…"
"Sort of what, J.R.?"
"I sort of began to think about last night and this morning and ignored Bobby a few times. He got mad. Accused me of thinking about my newest piece of ass and I…," J.R. said, surprised when Sue Ellen began to giggle.
"And let me guess," said Sue Ellen, the laughter easily heard in her voice. "You got mad at him for referring to me as a piece of ass and bounced him off the wall? Am I right?" she asked, still giggling.
"Well…yea," said J.R., not understanding how Sue Ellen could find Bobby calling her a piece of ass funny.
"Oh J.R., that is so sweet but you didn't have to bounce Bobby off the wall. He didn't know it was me he insulted. Granted referring to someone as a piece of ass is rude but Bobby didn't know it was me you were thinking about," said Sue Ellen. "He doesn't, does he?"
"Doesn't what?" asked J.R., a little confused.
"Doesn't know it is me you're sneakin' around with?" asked Sue Ellen.
J.R. shook his head no.
"Good," said Sue Ellen. "Cause it's none of his business who you're sneakin' around with. And it's especially not his business if the one you're sneakin' around with just so happens to be your wife," she added impishly.
"True," agreed J.R..
"But promise me something J.R.," she said.
"Anything darlin'," he replied.
"Don't bounce Bobby off anymore walls. Please," she asked.
"I'll try not to," J.R. said solemnly. "But I'm not guaranteeing anything, darlin'. But I'll do my best."
"Thank you. Your best is all I ask," said Sue Ellen, uncrossing J.R.'s arms and leaning into him. "Now that that is all taken care of…any idea of when the next time will be?" she asked playing with the buttons of his shirt.
"The next time?" asked J.R., watching as Sue Ellen's fingers traced over the buttons of his shift.
"The next time we go sneakin' around," she murmured, one hand wrapping around his neck while the other continued to play with the buttons of his shirt.
J.R. bent his head toward Sue Ellen. "Soon," he replied, pulling her closer, his lips a hairs breadth away from hers.
"Oh good," she said. "I like this sneakin' round," she murmured before surrendering to J.R.'s kiss.
