Secret Summer

1986

Polo was always a popular sport among the English, something that Diana had never understood. The games bored her, and she attended them only because her husband was a player and, like a good wife, she wanted to support him.

She would much rather use this time with her boys; they have grown up way too fast for her taste, and she knew Charles would rather get that support from someone else.

Diana sighed and looked at the players, hoping her sitting partner wouldn't be too boring. She started looking for her place, ignored the noisy paparazzi calling her name, and silently wondered when they finally started to lose interest in her. She wished for nothing more than to bring her life back to how it was before her marriage.

"Hello," she politely greeted her seat partner, who appeared to be of Egyptian descent, and got a friendly hello back from him with warm eyes who looked at her. She was amazed that he didn't address her by her title like everyone else and without a curtsey. Maybe the older man didn't know who she was. unlikely, but possible.

"My name is Diana." She offered him kindly as she sat down next to him.

"Mohammed Al-Fayed." He introduced himself with a friendly nod. "But my friends call me Mou-Mou." Which made her start to grin. "Mou-Mou?" He nodded in agreement with a smile. "Do you like to watch the polo games, Mou-Mou?" asked Diana curiously. She liked the man in front of her and found him funny.

"My son is one of the players, Dodi Al-Fayed. "Maybe you will meet him today. There." Diana looked curiously in the direction where Mr. Al-Fayed was pointing and saw a handsome man walking toward them both with the same bright brown eyes and a warm smile in her direction, to which she replied automatically. She thought he was handsome, and his eyes made her feel more relaxed than ever. Not even with Charles had she felt that sense of security.

"Diana, this is my son, Dodi. Dodi, this is Diana." She introduced Mohammed to them both, and she got a friendly response, not from Dodi.

"Hello." She grins softly. "Dodi-Dodi or just Dodi?" she asked him tenderly, teasing and smiling embarrassedly when Dodi raised an eyebrow in a questioning smile, and a little laugh came from Mohammed. "Just Dodi, Mrs." said Dodi with a slight smile, which made both of them giggle. "So only, Dodi. I wish you the best of luck in winning."

"Thank you, but I don't need luck if I have enough talent for it." He teased softly, and Diana liked his confidence. "I should slowly leave for the game. Father, Diana." He said goodbye with a slight nod of his head and kissed Diana's hand, which made her blush. She breathed out quietly while Dodi climbed his horse and started to play.

"What do you think of Dodi, Diana?" She heard Mohammed ask a question and noticed how she got even redder, hoping her makeup would hide it. "He is very friendly." She murmured, embarrassed, trying to hide her face from the public. The last thing she wanted was to be as red as a tomato on the front page of Boulevard magazines.

"Well, I would be happy if you would see an invitation to a meal at some point." She nodded softly. "I'm the owner of the Hotel Ritu in Paris and would be very happy to see you and, of course, your husband in the hotel someday." He kindly gave her his card, which Diana took curiously. "I'll come by sometime." She smiled at Diana in agreement.

"I will be very happy about your visit, even if I think that Dodi does it even more than I do. He is very fascinated with you, your highness." Diana looked at him wide-eyed when he called her by title, thinking he didn't know who she was.

"I didn't want to make you uncomfortable during the game. I wanted them to get to know us in an unbiased way."

"That has been successful. I would be very happy to see you and Dodi again." "If I may make this comment, I think you are as fascinated by my son as he is by you, Diana." Diana played with her ring with a hesitant smile and slowly said goodbye to him.

"I hope the game didn't cause you too much boredom, your highness." She shook her head and smiled. "I had a good conversation, partner, and I am looking forward to your hotel, Mou-Mou." Which makes Mohammed smile. "And I look forward to welcoming you and your husband, Diana.

"Both said goodbye to each other in a friendly manner. She looked forward to the moment of meeting her again. However, she kept the meeting a secret from Charles. She didn't want a fight with him, and she didn't have the strength to deal with his jealousy at the moment.

All that was left over from this evening was a dreamy smile from Diana, the memory of Dodi and his father, and a confused look from Charles, wondering what could make his wife so happy. Which he knew could neither be due to him nor to the polo.