Chapter 3 – Trouble, Trouble, Trouble
The Elysia – 7 Days Later
Sue Ellen stepped out to the terrace and curled up on one of the chaise loungers. Her eyes wandered over to the Ewing Building. From where she was seated, she had a clear view of it. That, and a single light aglow from the 50th floor.
JR. What was she going to do about him? She’d spent several days trying to process it. Was distracted by it when she shouldn’t have been. She thought of how she’d gone after him. How bold she was that night. Once her mind had been made up, she was not going to be denied. Not on that night. Just one more time, she had told herself. Just tonight. One night. For forever.
Had it been a mistake? A colossal lapse in judgment? Perhaps. But she didn’t regret it. And if it had been, she had only herself to blame. JR hadn’t invited himself upstairs to her penthouse.
She invited
him. JR hadn’t seduced her.
She had propositioned him. She had known the risks involved but simply did not care. Yes, this was all her doing.
They made it worth it. That animalistic magnetism they’d shared was still there, just as powerful as it had ever been. She thought of how he knew her. How confident he was. The way he evoked things she had long forgotten. Knowing when to be gentle. When to turn up the intensity. How he felt beneath her fingertips. The way his breathing grew noticeably heavier when she touched him. His lips brushing against her. How alive he made her feel. How at ease she felt when she was with him.
So at ease, she could almost forget exactly who he was. What he was. And that made it particularly dangerous.
“But if I hadn’t,” Sue Ellen whispered. “I would have regretted it for the rest of my life.”
She had attempted to justify it in her mind. They’d both been lonely and, for whatever reason, fate had brought them together one last time. She also wondered more than once what would happen if they found themselves alone again. Would those same feelings return? Or would it be slightly awkward, but otherwise as if nothing ever happened?
The more Sue Ellen thought about it, the more inclined she was to find out. She felt a sudden urgency to see him. Keeping a heavy-lidded gaze fixed on his office, she wondered what he was doing at that moment. Had he thought about her too? If she invited him over, would he be receptive? And if he was, where would it lead? Had she not learned from the mistakes of the past? The times he’d proven himself untrustworthy were countless.
“And yet, here I am again.”
There was no doubt the night they’d spent together had reawakened something from within her. Something that persisted even after he was gone. She felt different somehow. Though she was confused by it, she wasn’t ready to let it go either.
Ewing Oil
JR let the well production report drop down to his desk and glanced at the wall clock, noting he wouldn’t make it back to Southfork in time for dinner. Rising from his leather chair, he sauntered to the bar and poured himself a drink. He took a sip and ambled back over to the window.
His eyes surveyed the skyline, finally coming to rest on The Elysia. He’d found himself looking out the window in that direction several times over the last seven days. He hadn’t heard from Sue Ellen since that evening at Southfork. He had hoped she would reach out to him, though he hadn’t really expected her to. It wasn’t her style.
If the silence between them was to be broken, he would have to be the one to initiate it.
Taking his drink to his desk, he sat down and buzzed Sly. “Sly, get The Elysia on the phone for me,” he instructed. “Then you can get on out of here.”
“Anything else, JR?”
“No. That’s all for today.”
The Elysia
The ringing of the telephone interrupted Sue Ellen’s thoughts. Thinking it was probably her realtor, she retrieved the handset from the adjacent table. Giving the caller ID a quick glance, she was surprised to see what she recognized as JR’s private number.
Sitting upright, she swept her eyes from the phone to JR’s office then back again, unable to suppress a little grin as she pressed the talk button.
“Hello.”
“Sue Ellen,” came the voice from the other side. “It’s JR.”
“JR,” she said, pretending she didn’t already know it was him. “This is a surprise. Is anything wrong?”
“No, no,” he replied. “Nothin’ wrong.”
She rested back against the chaise and smiled to herself as he continued. “I was fixin’ to call it a day and thought I’d see if you’d like to join me for dinner.”
Sue Ellen had her answer.
“I might,” she answered, hoping she didn’t sound overly enthusiastic. “What did you have in mind?”
“Well, I was thinking the Oil Barons or…”
At that, Sue Ellen interrupted him. “Do you think it would be possible to go somewhere a little less…public?”
“Sure…I suppose.”
She caught the confusion in his voice then. “It’s just that…I’ve only been back for a few days and I’m not sure I’m ready to navigate that particular arena yet.”
“I see.” She detected a touch of disappointment in his voice.
Sue Ellen continued. “And I’m sure you’re aware of the rumors that will start flying the very second we’re seen out together…”
“Yes. Yes, of course,” he agreed reluctantly.
She thought for a moment. “Would you like to come here? For dinner, I mean. I can order us something from room service.”
JR paused for a second. “Room service it is. I’ll see you in about twenty minutes.”
“See you then.”
***********************************************************************************************************
Sue Ellen hung up the phone and made her way inside the penthouse. Picking up the menu, she deliberated over the menu for a few minutes before placing an order. Not long afterward, the doorbell chimed.
Drifting toward the door at a leisurely pace, she paused at the beveled hall mirror to check her reflection. The sleeveless A-line shirtdress, emerald green and cinched at the waist, complemented her slender figure. She unfastened an extra button from its loop, then checked her hair. After all these years, she still wanted to look good for him—a realization that was not lost on her.
She opened the door to find JR standing at the threshold, his jacket draped over his arm. His tie was loosened, along with the top buttons of his poplin dress shirt.
“Long day at the office?” she asked, laughter in her voice. “Come on in.”
“It started out a little poorly.” He hesitated, his eyes taking their time looking her over. Finally, he gave her a grin. “But it ended just beautifully.”
“Here,” she began, lifting the jacket from his arm. “I’ll take that for you.”
“Thank you, Darlin’.”
With a sweep of her hand, she told him, “Make yourself at home. Dinner should be here any minute. Would you like a drink while we wait?”
He removed his hat and tossed it so it landed softly on the cushions of the sofa. Taking a seat at the head of the mahogany table, he answered with, “Bourbon and branch, if I didn’t drink it all the other night.”
Sue Ellen crossed to the bar and prepared his drink. It gave her a little bit of time to think. He hadn’t said so outright, but she recognized his comment about how his day ended for what it was—a veiled compliment.
She was certain of something else too. The moment she opened the door and saw him standing there, she had known beyond doubt that this lifelong thing between them was not finished. It wasn’t just the way he looked at her. It was also in the way she felt when she was near him. She couldn’t explain it. A feeling. And it simply was. She could fight it. Had fought against it. But it was still there.
The bell chimed once more from the foyer and she went to let the room service attendant in, handing JR’s drink over to him as she passed.
She stood by as the attendant rolled the linen-draped trolley into the room and set the plates. Once he’d left, she slid into the leather high-backed chair to JR’s right, saying, “I hope you’re in the mood for Italian.”
JR looked about the table and helped himself to some bolognese and charred asparagus, remarking, “This is delicious.”
Sue Ellen looked up from her chop salad and commented, “Good. I’m glad you like it.”
They continued their dinner in relative silence, save for an occasional comment about the food. And Sue Ellen found herself lost in her thoughts. It felt nice, sitting next to him.
“JR, I’m curious,” she began, breaking the silence. “When you first got here, you mentioned your day started on a sour note. Anything you’d like to share?”
JR backed his seat away from the table a little. “Just that imbecile Barnes is all.” He chuckled. “But I took care of him.”
Sue Ellen rolled her eyes and laughed along with him. “I should have known.”
“I tell you, he gets dumber by the minute.”
Leaning in a little, she grinned as she urged him on. “Do tell.”
“You remember the other night when I mentioned that Permian Basin deal I worked up with a bunch of the other independents?”
“Yes, I remember.” Sue Ellen noticed JR’s eyes were doing a little dance as he began his story. Resting her elbows on the table, she propped her chin on her hands and gave him her undivided attention.
“So, Barnes has about 15,000 acres leased outside of Odessa that just happen to sit on either side of about 40,000 acres that belong to yours truly.”
Sue Ellen couldn’t help laughing at the idea of it. “You mean to tell me the two of you are neighbors?”
“Yeah.” He grinned back. “Can you believe that?”
She sat up straighter and urged him on. “Well, don’t hold back. I want
all the details.”
“Well, you know how he is. After the Permian deal he got himself in such a tizzy to try to outdo Ewing Oil that he failed to double-check land rights before running his pipeline. Want to guess where that pipeline terminates?”
Her eyes flickered to match his, and lifting her brows, she asked, “Ewing property?”
He laughed. “You’re damn right…”
“I’m assuming he doesn’t know this?”
“Not yet.” He subtly shifted toward her. “And that’s the sweetest part. Legally, as it stands right now, I own that pipe.”
A slow, downturned grin tugged at her lips. Sue Ellen, having a little bit of a wicked side herself, had always gotten a thrill from listening to his stories of scheming and plotting. There was something about his ruthless side that she’d always found seductive—provided it wasn’t directed at her. “What are you going to do about it?”
“Not a damn thing. Yet.” He raised the bourbon to his lips again. “I’ve got a couple of options. For one, I could cap it.”
Sue Ellen listened to him, captivated. Smoothing her hand over the glossy surface of the table, she offered, “But you aren’t going to do that.”
“Hell no.” JR looked her straight in the eyes. “You like this, don’t you?”
“A little more than I should, yes.”
“Long story short, I’m having a valve installed. And when that moronic leprechaun starts pumping, it’ll be ole JR cashing in.” He paused, then laughed again. “Now, how about that?”
Sue Ellen relaxed against the leather back rest. “I think it’s genius. And the funniest part is you basically didn’t have to do anything nefarious. It just fell in your lap.”
“It’s taken me a long time, but I’ve finally figured out…With him, you really don’t have to do anything. He does a good enough job screwin’ things up all by himself.”
She took a drink of her mineral water and nodded. “Doesn’t he always…”
It was comfortable, being with him like this. Sue Ellen couldn’t put her finger on what had changed. Time had not erased the sting of the bad times, but it did have a way of blurring them. Maybe she was not the only one who was different. Whatever it was, she was glad she had run into him last week. She had thoroughly enjoyed his company then. She was enjoying it now.
“JR, I wanted to tell you…” she started, “I’m glad you called me today.”
He studied her for a moment. A twinkle of playful malice appeared. “Well, after seven days of not hearin’ from you, I figured it was about damn time I call you up myself.”
She gave him a searching look, the events of a week ago in the back of her mind. “Oh?”
“Yeah.” He nodded. “I did.”
Sue Ellen opened her mouth to speak, then hesitated. “I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t at least considered it.”
“But something kept you from it.”
“Yes. But not in the way you probably think.”
JR absorbed her words. “I see. And if I told you I’d like to see you again?”
There it was. Exactly what she had wanted—and needed—to hear him say. Yet now that he had said it, she did not know what she wanted to do with it. Or whether this was a discussion she wanted to have right now. And suddenly, the room felt too small for them.
“I would say…” She rose slowly from the table. “Let’s go out on the terrace. Get some fresh air.”
Sue Ellen led him onto the terrace. Pointing at the two teak chaise loungers, separated by an end table, she asked, “How about we sit right here?”
The two of them reclined against the chairs and looked up at the night sky in silence. “Nice, isn’t it?” she finally commented.
JR rolled his head toward her. “Too nice.” He grinned. “I could almost go to sleep out here.”
She looked at him teasingly. “If that happens, I’ll be sure to bring you a blanket.”
JR did not take the bait, however. Instead, he continued looking at the dark expanse above. Sue Ellen gave him a sideways glance a couple of times, wondering what he was thinking. He could be an enigma at times.
She used the quiet to contemplate what he’d asked her a few minutes earlier. One way or another, he deserved an answer. She could put an end to it right now, right here. There was no one on earth who knew him better than she did. She could be pragmatic and use that knowledge to make the sensible decision. Or…she could gamble on him one more time.
She did not want him back. Not in the sense of becoming his wife again, anyway. She did not want to live with him. She just wanted him in her life. Though she did not know how, she wanted to be in his. But his life could not be hers. She would have to create her own world and make a place for him within it.
It had the potential to end. Badly, given their history, and every bit as abruptly as it’d begun. She might get hurt. Wounded in the worst way imaginable. Then what? He had given her every reason to believe it would end horribly just like it had so many times before. She did not trust him. But she did trust herself. And no matter what, she would be okay.
The thought of what had transpired at Southfork echoed back to her. The ruse they’d executed seamlessly and with relatively little effort. With no time to prepare or rehearse, they had taken each other’s cues and just gone with it. The slightest slip of the tongue would have brought their secret crumbling down. Yet they’d been nearly flawless in their execution of it. The sheer success of what they’d done had provided her with newfound confidence. It told her something else too. Discretion was entirely possible so long as they both wanted it.
Finally, she tilted her head toward him. “JR,” she began softly, “what happened last week was…”
“Really something,” he finished for her.
She supposed something in her had been waiting for this. Needed to hear it. From him. It was no longer just a figment of her imagination. That night had been extraordinary for them both. For a moment she saw a flash of JR’s face above hers. So vivid. Then, just as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone.
“Yes,” she whispered. “Yes, it was.”
Silence. Sue Ellen could feel him looking at her. He had given her exactly what she had wanted. Reassurance. Then why did she feel so unsettled?
“I’ve thought about it a great deal,” she continued. “More than I probably should…”
“And?” JR asked curiously.
“And…” Her voice trailed off. She dropped her eyes down to her lap, then back up to him. “It’s never really over, is it…”
He clasped his hands together, pondering what she’d just said for a moment. “Do you want it to be?”
His direct question was a little unexpected and, in reply, she simply offered a soft, almost imperceptible shake of her head, followed by a whisper, “No.”
With penetrating eyes, he studied her for a moment. “Neither do I.”
“I’d be lying if I said there isn’t a part of me that feels this would be a grave error in judgment. Reckless...” she continued.
He considered her words for a second, clearing his throat before replying. “I reckon you’ve got every reason to feel that way.”
Sue Ellen knew he thought she was referencing the lingering battle scars between them. And she was, a little. “Please don’t think I’m trying to rehash old wounds. I’m not. I just…”
“Just say whatever’s on your mind,” he interrupted, his tone serious.
“What I mean is, we pulled everyone else into our wreckage too.”
JR tapped his fingertips lightly on the table. “John Ross,” he noted quietly.
“First and foremost, yes.” Sue Ellen nodded. “I made myself a promise to never put him through that ever again.”
She paused for a second, choosing her words carefully. Then, giving him a subtle smile, she added, “So that leads to the question, how can we see one another without forcing everyone else to suffer the consequences should it unravel?”
She could tell by his sudden shift in posture she’d made him a little uncomfortable. “I get the distinct impression you’ve already thought that out.”
Nodding, she replied, “I have.”
“Well, don’t keep me in suspense.” He encouraged her on. “The floor is yours.”
Aware she had somewhat accidentally steered the conversation in a direction she didn’t want to dwell on, she gave him a flash of a grin. “The solution is actually pretty simple, in my opinion. No one knows we were together last week. No one knows we’re together now. I don’t see why anyone needs to know at all.”
His attention seemed to sharpen then, and she watched as he silently contemplated her suggestion for a moment, feeling a quiet wave of satisfaction when she caught the faint trace of his smile making a reappearance. “You mean...?”
Driven by a sudden, restless energy, she rose up from her seat and moved to the edge of the balcony, her hands coming to rest on the railing. “This stays between us. Clandestine. Unconventional.”
She noticed a subtle shift in his demeanor. Something she couldn’t identify right away. He just seemed to be looking at her a little differently. Quietly, he remarked, “It could be fun.”
So far, JR hadn’t really said much and seemed to be content allowing her to do most of the speaking, only offering a short reply here and there. That stillness put her in a precarious position because he was always thinking three steps ahead. Sue Ellen was absolutely certain that’s exactly what he was doing.
Uncertainty aside, she was unable to withhold a laugh as she watched the wheels start to turn. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you...knowing something everyone else doesn’t…”
He remained stretched out lazily on the chaise, as if he had all the time in the world. Tracing his thumb over the rim of his tumbler, he grinned up at her. “I suppose I wouldn’t be altogether opposed if you’re so inclined.”
She knew he was toying with her and did not appreciate his attempt at humor. He was also a bastard to the core and she felt, if she’d had the good fortune of having an object within arm’s reach at that moment, she would surely have hurled it at him.
“JR, don’t think I’m not onto your little game of cat and mouse,” she countered smoothly. “If you can’t take me seriously, then…”
At that, he set his drink aside, leaving the amber liquid swirling as he rose from his chair and came to stand alongside her. Sue Ellen watched as the smirk vanished from his face and he looked at her in earnest. “Nothing of the sort.”
The sudden change caught her off-guard and it took a few seconds for her to recall what she had planned to say next. Maintaining her grip on the railing, she lifted her chin slightly, locking her gaze with his. “If this is going to happen between us,” she began. “You and I need to have an understanding about a few things.”
He gave her an encouraging nod and urged her to continue. “You’ve got my full attention. Go on.”
Sue Ellen took another moment to gather her thoughts before moving on, knowing it was necessary her words be crafted carefully. “First, you’re going to have to respect my boundaries. My independence. And that’s not a topic for debate. We can have an actual, adult relationship. But I won’t be moving back to Southfork. Ever.”
She wouldn’t have been surprised at all if the arrangement came to an abrupt halt right then and looked on curiously in an effort to determine what mark her words left on him. But aside from breaking eye contact for a split-second, he didn’t give away much nor did he attempt to argue or look for a loophole. He simply lowered his chin, following it with a quiet, “Done.”
That stipulation was the one that carried the biggest weight—for both of them. When he agreed to it, Sue Ellen began to realize this was really going to happen. She also became acutely aware of something else—how little space remained between them.
“I’m assuming there’s more,” he added, his brows arching.
“Yes,” she replied, offering a slow, measured blink. “No expectations from either party. No promises. And we agree that, if at any point one or both of us wants out, we’ll be straightforward with each other.”
On that one, she stood by in suspended silence as he weighed her words. To her, it was the mature thing to do. What she failed to realize, however, was that they were negotiating a possible future break-up before they even got started. They were the same in that. He didn’t get it either. So, he readily agreed. “Done.”
“One more thing,” she noted, taking quiet pleasure in his begrudging concessions. “No expensive gifts. I cannot be bought. And I don’t need things.”
At that, JR’s eyes flashed with a renewed spark of amusement. A hint of the former smile crept back in. “Negotiable.”
Something about the idea he was thinking ahead already gave her a private thrill, causing a smile to tug at her lips as she told him, “We’ll revisit that one another time.”
The two stood motionless then, just looking at one another. As they did, a quiet wave of relief washed over her. The final piece of the puzzle had fallen into place. Feeling a faint but persistent urge to be nearer him, she slid a few inches closer. “I suppose we’re in agreement then?”
If she thought they were finished, she was mistaken because JR had other ideas. Giving her a lazy, slow-motion shake of his head, he said, “Not quite.”
“Oh?”
The familiar roguish grin spread across his features. “I have a few stipulations of my own, Darlin’.”
Figuring she should have seen this coming, Sue Ellen felt her smile harden a little around the edges. “That’s fair,” she replied, her steady voice betraying her inner trepidation at what he would say next.
“First,” he began, his tone serious. “I agreed to all that other. But down the road, should the status of our relationship warrant it, you agree that we reevaluate some of them.”
He made a valid point, she reasoned. But how far down the road? One month? Six months? A year? In the past, he’d had a habit of rushing things between them, and more often than not, she’d allowed it. She could agree to it, provided he didn’t make such an attempt anytime soon. “Done.”
“Second…” His eyes wandered to the telephone on the marble pedestal table and back to her. “I want to be able to call you whenever I see fit.”
Oh my. Her gaze dropped to the flickering lights below. He certainly wasn’t wasting any time. The simmering warmth she felt on first standing next to him began to evolve into a wicked little current. Suddenly feeling playfully audacious, she cast him a provocative smile and asked, “And if I don’t answer?”
Initially surprised, his jaw tightened in amusement and he came in a little closer and confided, “I have every reason to believe you’ll want to answer.”
The rush from just seconds ago began to deepen into a slow, intoxicating burn. This was one of the parts of him she enjoyed the most. Though she did not tell him as much, she agreed his calls would not be going to voice mail.
JR was not finished. Without offering her an opportunity to respond, he leaned down. And, with slow, deliberate precision so that his lips softly brushed her ear, he whispered, “Occasional late-night summons are strongly encouraged.”
A fresh wave of heat coursed through her veins, rendering her unable to hide her physical reaction to his demands any longer. He knew exactly what he was doing. She drew a long, heavy breath. “Done.”
“One more thing,” he continued, taking in her exposed reaction. His grin gave way to one of pure, unadulterated mischief. “Should we ever disagree on any of these terms and conditions, I get the tie-breaking vote.”
“You bastard.” Though fully clothed, he’d made her feel naked beneath his gaze. This time, she did not retreat and instead leaned into it and let her eyes lock onto his. Her skin flushed and alive, she cleared her throat. “You’re overruled.”
A sudden hush fell between them. They stood looking at each other, each of them waiting for the other to act. Sue Ellen traced the cool metal of the railing with her fingertips, all the while keeping her eyes locked on him.
“Anything else?” she finally mustered.
JR held her gaze. Allowing the tension to do the talking, he did not utter a single word.
The realization hit Sue Ellen with a sudden clarity. He was waiting for her, content to let the silence beckon her to him. She tapped her stilettos a couple of times against the porcelain tile, in time with the slow rise and fall of her chest. And, in cool formality, she dropped his name into the space between them.
“Mr. Ewing…” A sly smile made its way across her face and, fingers aligned, she slowly extended her hand. “Isn’t it customary to shake hands?”
His composure faltered then, his jawline hardening as if the sound of her voice had physically touched him. His fingers wrapped around hers. At that first touch, everything she’d been fighting all night became absolute. The solid reality of his skin against hers narrowed her senses to a single point. The deal had effectively been sealed. His hand guided her forward until the space between them had vanished completely.
Her breath hitched as she pressed her hands against his broad shoulders for balance. His hand slid firmly around her waist. The other tangled deep into the hair at the nape of her neck. He held her there for an excruciating heartbeat.
“Finally,” he murmured against her lips.
The first brush of his mouth was tantalizingly slow. A pause. Then, a deep, deliberate undoing. She caught the sharp, oaky warmth of the bourbon on his breath. Without hesitation, she kissed him back. Hungrily, she matched the measured pace he set. Feeling him tighten his grip on her waist, she let out a soft, helpless moan.
The devastatingly deep kiss tapered into a series of soft, lingering pressures before their lips finally parted. They stayed right there. Their faces only inches apart. She looked straight into his eyes. Waited for him to say something. But he did not.
She searched the dark depths of his eyes. Looking for something. She found it just as the silence was about to snap. That signature spark of mischief she knew so well.
His lips curved downward into a grin. “Wanna go upstairs?”
Her own lips curved to match his. “Absolutely.”
Abruptly, she turned on her heel and sauntered indoors, leaving him to fall into step behind her. As they stepped over the threshold, his hand found the small of her back. At his touch, she cast him a slow, backward glance.
“Oh, Sue Ellen,” he chuckled. “We’re gonna have ourselves one helluva time.”
And thank you. 
