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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Scorpienne" data-source="post: 444780" data-attributes="member: 67264">Chapter 2 ~ Blindsiding in Plain SightSouthforkSue Ellen brought her newly purchased black Mercedes SL500 convertible to a stop just before turning into the long driveway leading to the ranch.  A mix of memories flooded her mind, both good and bad.  She took in the vast expanse of the estate, and soaked up the pale, sun-bleached tops of the blowing grass.  The air caught in her throat.  No matter what, Southfork was a part of her.  It always would be.  The slight trepidation she felt gave way to excitement at the thought of reuniting with John Ross.  She’d missed him terribly.  She pressed her foot to the accelerator and made the right-hand turn into the driveway.  The distance closed.   The whitewashed three-board fencing that looked like it went on forever led the way.  The striking yellow and white awnings came into view.  The immaculately manicured shrubbery surrounding the patio.  Bringing her car to a stop, she cut the engine and smiled at the low drone of insects and distant calls of mourning doves.  Life seemed slower here.  Some of her favorite memories were in the evenings.  Everyone gathered in the living room for a nightcap.  The conversations varied.  Sometimes the room was filled with boisterous laughter.  At others, the tension could be cut with a knife.  Some nights she’d excuse herself, slip outside to enjoy the sunset, content to take it in alone.  A sudden splash from the pool interrupted her thoughts.  She tilted her head in the direction of the patio and spotted John Ross, swimming with Christopher.  “My son.”   She smiled, undoing her seatbelt.  She got out of the car and closed the door quietly, hoping to sneak up on him.  John Ross was just about to launch a football to Christopher when he saw her.  He froze for a moment, then leaped from the pool.“Mom!” He ran toward her.  Miss Ellie, who’d been buried in a book, removed her reading glasses to see what the commotion was about.  “Sue Ellen!  What a wonderful surprise!”  Sue Ellen folded John Ross into her arms, not minding that he was dripping wet from head to toe.  “I have missed you…so very much,” she whispered.  “When did you get here?” he asked.  “Why didn’t you tell me?” “Just last night,” she replied, smiling.  “I wanted to surprise you.”“Miss Ellie,” Sue Ellen greeted her former mother-in-law.  Miss Ellie beamed at her.  “You look absolutely stunning, Sue Ellen.  Please, do come sit down.  I was just about to have Teresa bring out some lemonade.”  The two ladies sat in silence for a moment.  Sue Ellen’s heart was full.  She had missed Miss Ellie, though she hadn’t realized how much until now.  Their relationship went beyond mother-in-law/daughter-in-law.  She had been a friend.  An ally at the most turbulent of times.  But most importantly, the older lady served as a surrogate mother to her for much of her adult life.  She was the mother Sue Ellen had always wished she had.“So, tell me all about London and what you’ve been up to.  How long are you in town for?” The truth was bound to come out eventually.  Sue Ellen thought to herself, there’s no time like the present.  Lowering her eyes to the table then back to Miss Ellie, she allowed her silence to do the speaking.   Reading between the quiet lines, Miss Ellie frowned.  “Oh no, Sue Ellen.   I’m so sorry.”  “It’s okay, Miss Ellie.  Really.  The important thing is I’m back with John Ross.” John Ross, having toweled off, reappeared with Christopher in tow.  “Want to come see the new computer Dad bought me?  It’s awesome!”“I would love nothing more.”  And she meant it.  “And Christopher, I was so excited I lost my manners.  You look so grown up!”  Motioning toward the glass sliding door, Miss Ellie said, “You two run along.  I know you have a lot of catching up to do.”  Sue Ellen’s grin returned then.  “I think I’ll take you up on that, Miss Ellie.”  “Oh, one more thing.  Please tell me you’ll stay for dinner.  And don’t say no.  I won’t have it.”  Assured there was no way she could turn down Miss Ellie’s invitation, Sue Ellen, though hesitant, agreed.  “That would be lovely.  I’d love to see everyone.” She followed John Ross inside and up the stairs to his room.  She noted the upstairs wallcoverings had changed, but everything else was very much the same as she remembered.  The corridor seemed like a gallery of the past to her as she recalled which rooms belonged to whom.  It wasn’t until her eyes fell on the door leading to JR’s room that she fully realized what her acceptance of Miss Ellie’s dinner invitation meant.  There was a distinct possibility JR would be here, a reality that could make things very interesting.   Sue Ellen brushed the thought aside.  Right now was about visiting John Ross.  JR could be dealt with later.  The two of them spent the next couple of hours getting caught up.  John Ross showed her his computer just as promised.  Sue Ellen looked on, amused and proud as he showed her baseball trophies and school awards.  He told her the stories behind each one of them and she listened with great interest.  Though he’d shared a good deal of it via their frequent calls, getting to see some of his accomplishments in person made her feel she had been a part of it. Their conversation eventually shifted to Don.  John Ross did the listening while Sue Ellen told him she was divorcing him.  She explained her reasons and he understood.  She surmised he’d never developed an attachment to Don anyway.  “I’m just glad you’re here, Mom,” he’d said.  A quiet wave of gratitude washed over her.  John Ross was so very mature for his age.  And well-adjusted.  Considering that much of his life had been spent in upheaval and turmoil, he could have gone in a far different direction.  But he seemed to have inherited the most positive of hers and JR’s traits and none of the negative ones.  “So am I,” she agreed.  “You have no idea how much.  And I am just so proud of the young man you’re becoming.”  *****************************************************************************************************************Most everyone had already gathered in the living room for pre-dinner drinks by the time Sue Ellen and John Ross made their way back downstairs.  Clayton, however, was waiting for her as she descended the staircase.  Face to face, he smiled at her.  “Miss Ellie told me we were having a special dinner guest tonight but refused to tell me who.  It’s so good to see you, Sue Ellen.”  “Hello, Clayton,” she smiled back.  “The feeling is mutual.”  “Talk about a sight for sore eyes,” Bobby exclaimed when she entered the room, then admitted, “Mama let me in on the secret.”  “She wouldn’t take no for an answer,” Sue Ellen laughed, then turned to April.  “It’s so nice to see you again, April.  You’re looking just lovely.”“It’s good to see you too, Sue Ellen.”Bobby poured himself a bourbon.  “Club soda for you, Sue Ellen?”“Yes, that would be just fine.”  Bobby handed the club soda over to her and she took a seat in one of the silken wingback chairs, feeling a little overwhelmed.  She was truly happy to see everyone.  But she’d grown used to the quiet.  Being alone.  Perhaps a little too used to it.  The people and faces colliding all at once, were overloading her senses.  Lucy showed up a little later, and they shared a few minutes of easy chatter.  Lucy told her she’d been seeing someone new for a few months.  “Maybe you can meet him sometime.”“I’d really like that.”The drinks continued to flow.  Sue Ellen remained fully engaged in the conversations, much of which was focused on her.  At least, she tried to.  But she was preoccupied and, every now and again, she stole a glance at the door.  JR had yet to appear.    At last, Teresa appeared in the doorway and announced dinner was served.  “Shall we?”  Miss Ellie looked at the clock, and stood up from the sofa before commenting, “I suppose JR is running behind.”Everyone fell in line behind Miss Ellie then and filtered into the dining room, as was tradition.  Miss Ellie and Clayton took their places at each end of the table while everyone else slipped into their usual spots.  Though she hadn’t been there for ages, somehow, it seemed natural in a way for Sue Ellen to occupy the seat that had always been hers, almost as if muscle memory led her to it.  She sat down, cast a fleeting glance at the empty chair next to hers, and thought it entirely possible she’d be gone before JR showed up.  There was idle chatter around the table throughout the first course.  No business talk, as was the rule.  They had just begun the second course when Sue Ellen heard a voice calling out from the foyer.“Sorry I’m late, Mama.  Got held up at the office.” Eating utensil in hand, Sue Ellen sat motionless and watched as he set his briefcase down near the foot of the staircase and placed his hat on the oaken hall tree.  “We have a dinner guest tonight, JR,” Miss Ellie called out to him, her wise eyes following him as he entered the room and saw Sue Ellen.  Her voice becoming stern, she continued, “I trust you’ll be on your best behavior.”They’d made a hasty exit from one another this morning.  It had been a brief but pleasant goodbye.  He had not lingered around, nor had she expected him to.  She knew they both had hectic days ahead of them and understood.  He’d even given her a light kiss before leaving.  She hadn’t expected as much but was glad he did.  In all their rush, however, they had both failed to consider there was a chance of them encountering each other at Southfork this evening or how they would handle it if it did happen.  She was about to find out.  JR stopped in the doorway and scanned the table.  His eyes fell on her.  She straightened herself and held his gaze.  For a moment, they were engaged in a standoff.  Her mind returned to the previous night.  In a flash, an image of his fingertips tracing her collarbone.  Her pulse quickened as she anticipated how he would respond to her here.  In front of his entire family.  Which version of JR would she get tonight?  Cool and composed, she finally greeted him, “Hello JR.” JR recovered himself, grunted a short reply as he took his seat.  “Sue Ellen.”  His tone stung her a little.  But Sue Ellen also knew he virtually had no choice.  And he wasn’t really angry.  At least, she didn’t think he was.  He couldn’t exactly announce to everyone they’d run into one another last night and...well.  She returned to her dinner and swept the room with her eyes.  How ironic was this?  To be seated here.  On Southfork.  Side by side.  Same chairs they’d occupied countless times as husband and wife.  Elbows nearly touching.  Surrounded by family.  And every single one of them was completely clueless about that wild and reckless night they’d shared just last night.  A private smile tugged at her lips, unable to deny there was something wickedly satisfying about it.  JR kept his gaze fixed on the meal, cutting into his steak as he said to her, without looking up.  “What brings you here, Sue Ellen?  I guess that’s your fancy car parked outside?”Sue Ellen sipped her tea.  “Well, JR,” she began, sweetly.  Then, feeling distinctly spicy, she added, “I like to move fast.”  He looked down at the table for a moment and cleared his throat.  “Yeah, don’t I know it.” “That’s enough, JR,” Clayton warned. “Just an observation.  Meant nothin’ by it.”  He went back to his dinner then.  Sue Ellen thought of what was transpiring for a moment, then tucked her chin to her collar to disguise the inward giggle that was threatening to escape and continued eating.  “Are you looking to purchase a home in Dallas?” Miss Ellie asked, changing the subject.“No,” Sue Ellen shook her head.  “I don’t believe so.  I’m picturing something out in the countryside.  Something peaceful.  Quiet.”  She paused for a moment.  “A ranch, perhaps.  Nothing as vast as Southfork, of course.  But something with a great deal of privacy.  A pool and stable for horses would be a bonus.”  JR interrupted, “Wait a minute.  You’re buying a house here?”She tilted her head toward him, quizzically.  “Would that be a problem for you, JR?”  “No.  No, I suppose not,” he replied.  “It’d make the boy happy anyway.”The charade continued to unfold throughout dinner.  And Sue Ellen was greatly amused by it all.  Her only regret was that she was seated directly next to JR, instead of across the table.  The latter so she could watch the wheels turning as he fumbled to ask questions about things he already knew the answers to.  She knew she shouldn’t, but she was having fun with the sophisticated, covert dance.  Bobby, wary of the conversation erupting, mentioned, “If that’s what you’re looking for, you might be interested in the Winthrop place.  It’s gonna hit the market any day now.  You may be able to get in an early offer.” Sue Ellen’s ears perked.  “Really?  I always loved that place.”“And you’d only be a few minutes from me,” John Ross interjected.  “It would be fantastic if I could find something near you, Darling.  Then we could see one another all the time,” she smiled.“Where are you staying right now, Sue Ellen?”  April asked.  Sue Ellen noticed that JR had continued eating his dinner in silence, with no further acknowledgment of her presence beside him.  Feeling a little more brazen, she thought perhaps she could prod him a little further and had a sudden yearning to see if she could get him to lose his composure a little.With that in mind, she ever so slowly curled her ankle around JR’s under the table, giving him a sideways glance as she did.  He froze mid-motion.  Not yet finished, with a feather-light brush, she slid the bare skin of her calf along his shin.  JR dropped his fork down to his plate.  Want to come out to play, JR?  She smiled at April, poised.  “Downtown at The Elysia.”  “How nice,” Miss Ellie grinned.  “That’s fairly new, isn’t it?  But you know you’re always welcome here at Southfork until you find something permanent.”  “I appreciate that, Miss Ellie.  And thank you for offering.”  She meant it.  “But my accommodations there will be just fine until I find a new place of my own.”Not finished with JR yet, she turned to him then, innocently inquired, “Do you know of it, JR?  The Elysia?  I believe you can see it from the Ewing Building.”    In response, he rolled his eyes as he turned only his head in her direction.  “Yes, Sue Ellen.  I know.  There isn’t a damn thing about Dallas I don’t already know.”  Despite his outward, ill-tempered appearance, Sue Ellen detected a little spark in his eye then.  He was enjoying this too.  “Knock it off, JR,” Bobby warned from across the table.  Sue Ellen ignored Bobby’s rebuke of JR.  She was enjoying the back and forth too much.  Maybe a little too much.  Still, she was unable to resist softly prodding,” JR, if you don’t mind me saying…You look a little tired.  Are you getting enough sleep?”He simply looked at her then.  The contrast between the strict line of his mouth and the twinkle in his eye was not lost on her.  She knew she was torturing him.  But there was something else.  He liked it.  Finally, he replied, dryly, “Your concern touches me, Sue Ellen.  Truly.”  She supposed she should have felt guilty.  Allowing Bobby and Clayton to come to her defense when, in truth, every word she and JR had spoken to one another at the table had been part of an impromptu, yet elaborate, performance.  But it was justified.  It protected their privacy.  What happened last night was no one’s business but their own.  It also protected their son.  John Ross had always wanted his parents to be together.  In the same home, living as a family.  The slightest sign of something between her and JR might lead him to thinking there was a chance of reconciliation.  She didn’t want to give him false hope.  *******************************************************************************************************Following dinner, there were more drinks in the living room.  Along the way, Sue Ellen overheard Lucy behind her, muttering to herself.“Typical Ewing family dinner.  Full of drama.”  Unoffended by the jab, she gave herself a silent pat on the back.  She and JR had pulled it off.  No one suspected anything.  Their secret would remain safe with them.  After a nightcap, everyone, one by one, excused themselves upstairs until only JR, Sue Ellen and Miss Ellie remained.  “Well, I really must be going.  Thank you again for having me, Miss Ellie.”  “Anytime, Sue Ellen,” Miss Ellie smiled.  “Promise you’ll come back for another visit soon.”Sue Ellen returned her smile.  “I promise.”  “I’ll walk you to your car, Sue Ellen,” JR offered, holding the door open.  Miss Ellie cast him a warning glance as if to say ‘Behave yourself’ before heading to her sleeping quarters.  “Good night, Sue Ellen.”  “Good night, Miss Ellie.”  ***************************************************************************************************JR and Sue Ellen walked quietly, without looking at one another, to her car.  Slowly, side by side.  He stole a quick look around.  Feeling safe they weren’t being overheard, he finally broke the silence, “That was one helluva performance you put on in there just now.”Sue Ellen looked at him, and saw his eyes were dancing.  “There were a couple of moments where I thought I was going to burst out laughing.” JR laughed out loud.  “Yeah, especially the part about me getting’ enough sleep.”  She laughed along with him, shyly whispered, “I have to admit I was a little proud of that one.”  The two of them continued looking at each other.  The shared laughter slowly dwindled until only their smiles remained.  In a soft voice, he remarked, “Well played, Sue Ellen.”“Coming from the great JR Ewing, I take that as a compliment,” she grinned, aware she was flirting with him.  “You were pretty impressive too.”   They had pulled it off.  Together.  And now they stood in the driveway beside her car.  They would say goodbye.  JR would retire to his room at Southfork and she would head out into the darkness, back to her penthouse in Dallas.  Alone.  It started to sink in.  And there was a finality to it neither wished to acknowledge.  She put her hand on the door latch.  “I guess…” She hesitated, her voice barely above a whisper.  “I guess I better go.” JR nodded his head toward her car.  “I do like your new vehicle.  It suits you.”  “I thought so too.”  She ran one hand over the high back of the leather bucket seat.  “Good night, JR.”“I had a good time.”  His expression changed.  It was his eyes.  No longer dancing in mischief, she saw something different in them now.  “I did too,” she whispered.  Sue Ellen sat down in the car then and pulled away from Southfork a little too quickly.  Driving off into the night, her eyes darted back and forth from the windshield to the rearview mirror, watching his silhouette grow smaller and smaller behind her.  Keeping a tight grip on the steering wheel, she replayed the events of the last twenty-four hours in her mind.    She thought of the chance meeting with him.  Sitting on the terrace.  Recognizing that, in spite of everything, she was still physically attracted to him and acting on it.  The wild night that followed.  Falling asleep with him.  Waking up next to him.  The sleepy, knowing smiles they shared when awakened by the morning sun piercing through.  She’d had fun.  Pure and unadulterated.  And it had left her on an intense adrenaline high for over a day now.But it was a one-night stand, nothing more.  Sue Ellen had known what she was getting into.  She had gotten exactly what she bargained for.  Dammit.Adjusting the radio dial in a futile attempt at pushing away the finality of it all, she whispered aloud, “Then why do I want to cry?” It wasn’t that she’d become reattached to JR emotionally because of one night.  He’d made no promises and she hadn’t asked for any. She didn’t want his heart.  She wanted the finely tuned physical chemistry they shared.   She wanted the laughter.  The fun.  She didn’t regret their time together.  She regretted it was over.</blockquote>

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