Chapter 3: Let me get on with my life ... please...

The next several weeks were a little difficult for Diana and John Wayne. He was at the studio off and on going to various pre-production meetings. They would occasionally run into each other, always when other people were around as well and they had to act as nothing more than acquaintances. They would greet each other formally as "Mr. Wayne" and "Miss Maitland." If they thought no one was watching, they'd stare for several seconds as their eyes conveyed everything they couldn't say... "I love you; I miss you; I want you..."

A few people noticed their stares, but no one ever saw them alone together anywhere. They just chalked it up to a mutual attraction that they weren't going to act on. One person commented to Diana's boss that they'd noticed the way they had looked at each other. Her boss said, "Oh, you know how it is ... he's a big star and she's a big fan of his so naturally she's infatuated with him. But, even if Mr. Wayne is attracted to her, I'm sure he has no intention of getting involved with her just to end up breaking her heart ... he's not that kind of man! You should know that!"

Wayne almost blew things wide open one day just over two months after their weekend. Diana was at lunch in the studio commissary. She was seated alone at a table in the corner going over some work she had brought with her while she ate. Two men had come over to her a few minutes apart to ask if they could join her for lunch, but she turned them both away politely. She said that she really needed to get her work done and she was afraid their company would distract her. They seemed disappointed but said they understood and left her alone.

When she saw a third man walk up to her table out of the corner of her eye, she started with the same explanation. "I'm sorry to tell you this, but I need to get this work done so..."

She froze in mid-sentence when she looked up and saw the big man looking down at her with his eyebrows raised. "Could I please join you for lunch, Miss Maitland? You're the only one in here at the moment that I know and I really don't like to eat alone. Would you mind?" His eyes smoldered at her.

She swallowed hard and said, "Of course not, Mr. Wayne. Please ... have a seat." As he sat across from her and lit a cigarette, she cleared away the papers that were strewn over the table. After she put them back in the folder she'd brought them in, she looked at him.

"How are you doing? How's your work going?" They tried to pretend like they were just chatting about movie production schedules and upcoming meetings.

Then he asked quietly, "How are you really doing? Please tell me the truth."

She looked at him sincerely and said softly, "I'm doing fine. I'm keeping busy and I'm eating and sleeping a little better each week. I'll survive ... don't worry about me."

Wayne raised his eyebrows skeptically and said, "I've been watching you since you came in here. Two nice looking young men asked to join you and you turned them away. Why?"

"Why are you even asking me that? You should know why!" she whispered with a frown.

He closed his eyes for a couple seconds and frowned. Then he stared at her again and kept his voice quiet. "I've been seeing Pilar again." She blinked a few times and took a couple deep breaths as her jaw clenched. She didn't like hearing that ... Well that was too damned bad! He'd risk pissing her off if it would get her to stop living like a nun and give herself a chance at happiness! He continued, "I remember now why I thought about marrying her. She's a very warm and caring young woman and I think she would be a very loving wife. What more could I ask for?"

Diana gritted her teeth and spoke through them, "How nice for you, Mr. Wayne. I hope you two will be very happy together. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to get back to work. Good day, Mr. Wayne." She grabbed her folder and her purse, got up and abruptly walked away from the table. As she was headed for the door, she saw one of the men she had turned away earlier sitting near the door. The hurt and jealousy she felt made her do something rash and foolish...

She stopped in front of the man's table. "Would you stand up, please?" Hmm ... he was a rather nice looking man ... He had blonde hair a little lighter than hers, large dark brown eyes and classic features—almost the exact opposite of Wayne's chiseled, tough-looking, manly face with his dark hair and heavy-lidded, deep blue eyes.

She said quietly with a smile, "Would you do me a favor? I'm trying to get an old boyfriend to stop hounding me, so ... would you kiss me?"

"What?" the man asked quietly; surprise and confusion registered on his face.

"Kiss me! And try to make it look like you mean it ... please? I'm desperate!"

"Well ... OK!" He moved right in front of her, put his right arm around her lower back and his left arm around her shoulders and pressed her against him. He bent his head down and kissed her ... softly at first and then very passionately. Her body was molded against his; her large breasts were crushed against his chest. And the softness of her lips and tongue made it easy for him to look like he meant it ... especially when he felt himself getting hard. He raised his head slowly, staring at her face. She had a look of desire like he'd never seen on a woman before. He asked her eagerly, "I've been dying to ask you out! Will you go out with me?"

Diana was a little surprised at her reaction to the man's kiss. He was quite good at kissing; she felt a slight tingling in her lower abdomen. She hadn't been touched by a man for almost two months ... nor had she been able to bring herself to seek release on her own. And her body was feeling neglected, having been cut off so abruptly after having so much sex in one weekend. She felt a slight stirring of desire. And she could tell he was enjoying kissing her even more. His hips pressed against her slightly and she could feel his hardness pressed near her crotch. The tingles moved between her legs and increased her desire alarmingly.

He ended the kiss and looked down at her; he seemed surprised to see desire on her face. And then he blurted that he'd been dying to ask her out. As he released her, she smiled coyly and said, "I'll think about it. Thanks for helping me out. By the way, my name's Diana. And you're... ?"

He was staring at her, breathing heavily. He hesitated before he said, "Steve. Steve Elliott."

"Nice to meet you, Steve. I'm sure I'll see you around. Bye, boys!" she waved at his companions at the table as they all gawked at her before she turned to leave. She put a little more sway to her hips as she walked away, hoping they were all watching her as John Wayne chased her down at the door and grabbed her arm to drag her outside. She'd seen him headed her way out of the corner of her eye as she said goodbye to them.

Wayne watched her walk away. He knew she was hurting, but he had to do that... That's it, little girl ... introduce yourself to the young man. What the hell?!! Did she already know him? And just how well did she know him?!! Wayne grabbed the edges of the table to keep from pounding his fist on it.

The man looked to be about her age. He was about a head taller than her and he had a slim, athletic build and his fair good looks were completely the opposite of Wayne's rugged features. Was she trying to tell him she found that man's appearance more appealing than his? Just what the hell was going on?!!

Wayne watched the man slowly release Diana as he breathed heavier and growled in his throat at the look on Diana's face. Did she want to fuck that bastard?!! He angrily crushed out his cigarette as he watched them speak further. Then he saw all the men at the table gawking at her. She smiled and waved coyly at them before she started to walk away. He launched himself out of his chair and strode quickly and purposefully toward her. He threw an angry glare at the young man as he passed him. He caught her at the door, grabbed her arm and led her outside.

Steve and his friends all gawked again as they saw John Wayne stalk past them, glaring at Steve. One of Steve's friends said, "Hey! Wasn't that... ?!!

Steve looked concerned as he sank down onto his chair and said worriedly, "John Wayne's her old boyfriend? And she used me to make HIM jealous? Oh shit ... I'm a dead man!"

Wayne led Diana to a building housing a currently unused set, swung her around to face him and growled at her, "Just what the hell was that all about?"

"I got your message!" she growled back at him. "You're trying to tell me it's time to get on with my life and stop pining for you, so that's what I'm doing! I'm sorry if you didn't like the way I went about it! But that's none of your goddamn business—it's my life and I'll do what I want! You got that?"