When "official" Objectivist literature quoted Branden without attributing the quote to him, it struck me as the desire to have Rearden Metal without Rearden.

Nope.
He did exactly what I would (should) have done. After reading the Fountainhead, he sent her a letter that impressed her to where she invited him and his girlfriend (Barbara) to meet with him at their home. It was years later, after he got his degree, got married, was pursuing a Masters degree, and he was starting in practice and organizing Objectivism through the Branden Institute that the affair started. Things are never B&W except in fiction.

Same here!!!

she was the sorority girl taking advantage of the
frat boy in her spare time? . and then, he decided
to capitalize on her fame for his advantage?
life contains so many elaborate twists ... ! -- j

Actually, it was quite the other way around. There are some profound moral lessons here, but I'm not up to relating them.

Ayn Rand and Nathaniel Branden, regardless of the details of their split, are two people I wish I could have met in person, and with whom I would have liked to have engaged in all-night conversations.

well, she was 25 years his senior and married, but
I was 19 and she was my intellectual Mom. . it hit me
in a strange way, y'know! . I felt defensive for her. -- j

Herb, I was 19 when Rand and Branden split, and
I still feel the animosity -- in my bones. . it seemed
to me that Branden had taken advantage of Rand
in a conniving way, like a frat boy takes advantage
of a bookish girl. . I just must unlearn that. . it's such
a hill to climb!!! -- j

We dont have to be underwater in a pool to make the promise to "give up our problems. We could do it today, right now, completely on our own. The problems really do kill us, often slowly but relentlessly. We should promise to just give them up.

What a warm tribute to a complex man. I have always felt bad, perhaps even embarrassed about the way he was treated by the Rand "collective." While their loyalty to A.R. can be understood, their seeming hatred of the man who put Objectivism into a coherent form seemed way over the top. Probably it was the fear of the wrath of Rand that fostered that attitude. He indeed was the boy on the bicycle, all grown up.

Many thanks, your name appears in the article too. :)

Vinay, I'm glad you posted this link.
I will be adding your website to the sources I read.
It is good to see that other Gulchers here are contributors.

BTW, that scene is one of my favorites in The Fountainhead.