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Early Morning a Dallas Highway
“I'm meeting with him in a few minutes,” Elizabeth Benson said speaking into the phone. “You think I don't know that. Stop worrying. I have everything under control,” she said, smiling wickedly and hanging up the phone. She stared at herself in the mirror, preparing to leave for her meeting with JR Ewing. “Mr. Ewing, you will never know what hit you.”
The DA's Office
Alison Stannard sat at her desk looking over the final set of papers on the Ewing case, she couldn't explain it but something bothered her about this case. It was just too neat; everything had just fallen into place so perfectly. She sighed and decided she was being paranoid and moved over to put the file in a tray for her secretary to file away Yet as she did something stopped her. Wendell for all his evilness was an intelligent man who had spent a life time double dealing, why if he was going to do something so serious as this would he suddenly become so sloppy. She had always gone with her gut feeling in the past and she didn't intend to stop now.
Krebb's Ranch
Charlie was in the kitchen making some lunch as Donna entered.“Hi, would you like some eggs benedict?”
“No I'm fine thanks, did you sleep well?” Donna replied
“Like a log,” Charlie snorted, “after the places that I have slept these past few years I swear I could fall asleep standing on my head in a crowded station.”
Donna smiled somewhat distractedly.
“So how are you? It must be hard with Ray and everything and now you've got me and Lucas to contend with.”
“Don't be silly, I am glad you are both here this is your home and having us all around might be just what we need to lift Ray's spirits. But in answer to your first questions, yes it is hard. He is just so stubborn, he keeps pushing me away. I can't seem to be able to get him to understand that loosing his leg doesn't mean it's the end of the world or change how I feel for him.”
“He's a proud man but I know we can get through to him. Hell even if we have to slap some sense into him then we will. I mean two strong women like us, he doesn't stand a chance in hell.”
This time Donna gave Charlie a genuine smile and laughed.
“You're right and I like your style. I am going to go now and wake that old cowboy up and I will get him downstairs for breakfast even if I have to sling him on my back to get him there.”
“That's the spirit, so two more egg benedicts coming up.”
Donna left the kitchen and went back up the stairs; she knocked on Ray's door. After several moments of knocking, afraid she was going to wake Lucas who was still sleeping she entered the room. It took several seconds for her eyes to adjust to the darkness then she saw that Ray's bed was empty. Donna switched on the light and looked around, her eye caught sight of an envelope propped up on the pillow. As she torn it open and read the letter enclosed she let out a low moan and sat down on the bed. She went through the letter again to make sure that she had fully understood what she had read and then in anger and frustration she threw it across the room. Donna couldn't believe what had happened. How, how had Ray left without anyone hearing or knowing. If he loved them how could he do this? The words that Ray had written raced through her mind as she descended the staircase to tell Charlie the news… “ don't try to find me.”
Ewing Oil
JR sat in his chair staring intently at his computer screen. It was a good day; the price of oil was rising. With any luck, it would reach $35, maybe he dreamed, even $40 a barrel. Now if he could just find a new supply of oil, life would be almost perfect. As he turned back toward his desk, his eyes focused on the picture of his son. He reached over, picked it up, gritting his teeth. “Yep, almost perfect,” he said aloud. He sat for a moment staring at the picture, desperately trying to control his emotions, when the intercom on his phone went. “JR, Ms. Benson is here for her appointment.”
“Thanks. Give me just a minute, and send her in,” he replied rising from his chair. He grabbed his coat from the rack by the door, put it on and buttoned it. Opening the door, he greeted her, “Please come in Ms. Benson. Have a seat,” he said motioning toward one of the chairs.
“Thank you for seeing me, Mr. Ewing.”
“Your welcome, honey. I have to say I was intrigued by the proposal you sent over, but I'm not sure why you need Ewing Oil.”
“I heard that you didn't waste time.”
“Well, you heard right. Time is money, so let's get down to it. From the proposal, you want to sell me all the oil you can get your hands on. The question I have is, why me? Why not sell this oil yourselves?”
“The answer to that question is simple. We could sell our oil ourselves, but then we would have to deal with transportation and refining. We prefer to sell it to your small European subsidiary, and let you deal with all those problems.
“Well that answers one question, but the most important question is why Ewing Oil? There are a hundred other oil companies with whom you could be dealing.”
“That's true, Mr. Ewing, but your reputation in the oil community has preceded you. I always prefer to deal with men who are not afraid to take big risks. Big risks are the only ones that lead to big payoffs. Mr. Ewing, as you can see from the prospectus, the profit potential on this project will be astronomical. With all the political turmoil domestic oil prices are going to keep increasing. Which is good on the short term but we both know where these situations head. By saturating the market with this cheap commodity we can make a killing and accrue basically a nest egg for when the climate changes and the prices crash. By undercutting and selling this cheap crude then we will not only be ensuring huge profits but you will be also guaranteeing that Ewing Oil will have and keep the type of profit margins that will keep it as a force to be reckoned with the Oil world.
“I can see all that, darlin',” he said patronizingly, “but with this much profit potential there has to be a hell of a risk. Now don't get me wrong, as you already said, I don't mind risk.
The risk is dealing with me. I am an unproven, renegade in the oil business and to top it off, I'm a woman. Despite this being the 21 st century, women in oil are still largely uncommon. That's the reason I've come to you. I know you've dealt with women before and you love taking risks.”
“You certainly know a lot about me, darlin, but I know very little about you.”
“Well sir, feel free to do any background checks that you wish. I'm sure that you will find my past as free of skeletons as yours,” she smiled impishly.
JR chuckled and continued, “now that we've established why you want to sell to me, the other question I have is where is all of this oil coming from?”
“My company owns a small field in the Middle East. I say small because it is only two wells that produce about 5,000 barrels a day. For the Middle east, as you well know, that's small.”
“Where exactly are these wells, Ms. Benson,” JR asked suspiciously?
“Close to the Kuwait-Iraq border,” she replied, keeping her calm exterior.”
“So that's the really big risk you've been alluding to. With that volatile political situation, there's no guarantee you can hang onto the field.” JR paused to consider and weight the facts of the situation. “Ms. Benson, I do like to take risks. I enjoy the thrill of making a risk pay off and I'm sure you're aware that I have in the past crossed, let's say, the popular politics of my country, but this is a different time and place. Perhaps even a different JR Ewing. I think Ewing Oil is going to have to pass on your offer.”
“If that's the way you feel JR, then perhaps these documents will change your mind,” she replied handing him an envelope.
JR opened the manila envelope, pulled out the documents and began to read. “How in the hell did you find out about this,” he asks angrily staring at her coldly.
“Oh, I have my ways. Think about my offer,” she said rising to her feet and walking to the door. As she walked out the door, she turned and smiled evilly at him, “It won't last long.” Elizabeth Benson continued triumphantly to the elevator. As the doors closed on her smiling her face, she said aloud to herself, “Gotcha.”
Back in his office, JR's sat at the desk staring blankly at the documents in his hands. “So, she wants to play hardball does she? Well, Ms. Benson,” he said sarcastically, “you've messed with the wrong man. Nobody threatens JR Ewing.”
A Restaurant in Dallas
Bobby Ewing sat in La Trattoria Lombardi, his favorite Italian restaurant in Dallas, and sipped his scotch. He didn't mind the wait for a table but he did mind dining alone. He needed some company, anything to get Pamela off his mind. Even a night with Holly Harwood hadn't done that.
Bobby continued drinking his drink lost in his thought when the door of the restaurant opened and in walked Holly Harwood escorted by a young man who couldn't have been more than 25. She spied Bobby at the bar and made her way in that direction.
Hello Bobby", she said seductively.
Bobby, feeling a little uncomfortable, looked up from his drink.
"Hi Holly, your looking very nice."
"Nice?" Holly said with a slight hint of sarcasm in her voice.
"Why yes, nice. Is there something wrong with that?" Bobby inquired.
"Jonathan, go on to the table. I have some business with Mr. Ewing."
The young man followed the hostess to the table whilst Holly remained at the bar with Bobby.
"You left without even saying goodbye last night. Do you know how that makes a girl feel? Now I am sure you were not intending to make me feel used." Holly said with disgust in her voice.
"Holly", Bobby said, “I feel bad but things happened that I never intended to, I was drunk and well I feel like a complete ass. Hell, I feel like JR."
"What do you mean, Bobby?"
“I mean that what happened between us was a mistake. I took advantage of you and I feel awful about it."
"So what you're saying is, you regret what happened?"
"In a manner of speaking, yes, but that's not to say it wasn't special it's just I didn't intend it to happen or to be so blunt about it."
Holly could feel the anger growing inside her. She had been used by one Ewing but she never expected to be used by THIS Ewing.
"So when you took of you shirt and ripped of my blouse, you didn't intend to? When you threw me to the ground and stripped me bare you didn't intend to? When you pushed yourself in..
“Holly please.”
“You didn't intend to? I suppose you are going to tell me next that you didn't intend to fall asleep after half an hour leaving me unsatisfied? You may be as much of a bastard as JR, but you're not in the same league” Holly spat.
Holly Harwood slapped Bobby and turned and stormed out of the restaurant leaving her "date" alone and dumfounded. Bobby remained at the bar not giving a dam that the rest of the restaurant were staring at him. Ordering another drink he downed it in one, I am getting to be just as despicable as JR, he thought to himself.
"Bartender" he said," let me have another, please. Make it a double!"
Sue Ellen's Room Southfork
Sue Ellen took her time getting dressed for her meeting with Becky. How could she expect Becky to trust her, especially since her reconciliation with JR. Becky was so sarcastic on the phone. I have to get through to her that I am genuinely concerned for the baby....and for Becky. She took one last look in the mirror. "Becky, you have to trust me," she said aloud before turning away from the mirror, grabbing her purse, and heading out the door.
Gainesville, Texas
Miss Ellie and Mavis let the porters take their luggage upstairs and after saying goodbye to each other, went to their respective rooms to unpack. They arranged to meet downstairs in half an hour.
Half an hour later they decided to go for a drink in the café across the road.
“We must be crazy” Mavis said, “Here we are two elderly ladies going on a road journey”
“I know” Ellie said “But I need to get away from Dallas, I think we both do, so much has happened over the past few months”
“I wonder what Amanda was like?” Mavis said
“I don't know, Jock never really spoke about her” Ellie said “All I know is that she was sick and he couldn't cope with that, it was years before any of us knew about her”
“How old were they when the got married” Mavis said
“Very young I think, about 18” Ellie said
“So, how long are we staying here?” Mavis asked
“Just a day” Ellie said “Then it's back on the road again”
The women drank their coffee in silence both deep in thought. Ellie's thoughts returned to her family, so much had happened to them in the past few months, John Ross being killed, Christopher's disappearance, Bobby and Pam, so far apart with no hopes of a reconciliation, at least JR and Sue Ellen seemed to be settled, she had noticed a change in JR since the death of his son, and in a strange way his son's death had brought him closer to Sue Ellen.
Then she thought of Ray and Donna, after the accident and the loss of his leg, Ray had become distance. She knew that Donna still loved him but Ray was pushing away anyone who cared about him. At least Lucy and Dean seemed happy. She longed to have her two grandsons back with her, this isn't what she wanted for them, John Ross was too young to die, and it should have been her. And Christopher, why had he disappeared like that.
Mavis' thoughts turned to Punk. She had never thought of what her life would be without him but now she had to. Her life had changed and it would never go back to the way it had been, she was on her own without the one person she loved most in this world.
Suddenly another thought struck her, she looked at Ellie and realised she wasn't alone; the Ewing's would always be her family.
After finishing their coffee the women paid the bill and went outside into the warm sunshine.
“Where to now?” Mavis said
“Let's explore this town” Ellie replied
The women walked along the road and found a park. Walking along they saw couples enjoying the sunshine and each other, along with joggers and dog walkers.
“Everywhere I look people are in couples,” Mavis said
Ellie looked at Mavis “It will get better” she said
They sat down on a park bench and watched life go on around them.
“Oh, to be young again” Mavis said
“But would we change the way we lived our lives” Ellie said
“Probably not!” Mavis laughed
The two women continued walking around the town both thinking of their departed spouses whilst basking in the warm sunshine. Ellie took hold of Mavis's arm and squeezed it gently and they shared a warm smile.A Restaurant in Dallas
As he sat nursing his drink, Bobby heard a voice that he recognized. As he turned toward the door he noticed Madeline Brown whom Tracy McKay had introduced him to. He had not seen her since the conference that turned deadly in downtown Dallas. She was alone and noticed Bobby as well.
"Mr. Ewing." she said.
"Please, call me Bobby," he said with a smile. "It's good to see you again, Madeline."
"And you as well, Bobby. I must say that the circumstances are much better than the last time I saw you."
"Yes they are," Bobby said as he straightened his tie. "Would you care to join me for lunch? I was waiting on a single table, but I think they work faster for couples."
Madeline looked at Bobby and their eyes met.
"Yes I would. I hate to see such a handsome man dine alone."
Bobby smiled and motioned for the hostess.
"Change that table for one to two. I will be dining with Ms. Brown."
