Chapter 77 - Marek

Marek Marczak recently turned forty and was one of the most handsome men in this country. Quite tall, with broad shoulders and carefully combed up hair, he always looked elegant and pleasing to the eye. Wherever he appeared, he attracted the curious glances of women. In addition, he ran a thriving acting agency and had a number of connections in the artistic and political world of the whole of Europe.

In addition, he was the man from whom Dominik Śliwiński suffered so much.

"Good morning. I'm sorry that I did not call and inform about the visit, but you would not pick up anyway" he greeted Dominik with stunning Smile on his face.

Dominik felt very strange. The deep voice that had so many times whispered tender or dirty words in his ear, causing a thrill of pleasure, now made a less pleasant tremor. Mark's furious face immediately appeared before the actor's eyes as Marek hit him, knocking him to the ground, and a feeling of disgust as he forced him to kiss him at the party. Dominik was afraid. He was afraid to be in the same place as his former lover.

"Actually, I didn't expect you to open it to me. Rather, I was expecting your new friend. But I'm glad because I wanted to see you. Are you okay?"

No, Dominik was far from feeling good, even okay. He took a step back, feeling that his world was about to explode. Marek did not follow him. He was standing in the doorway.

"Dominik, who is…? What are you doing here ?!"

Nowicki was immediately between them, ready for any action.

Marczak slowly looked at him.

"I want to talk. Just it. I swear I'm not going to do anything inappropriate. I heard that Dominik has health problems and I wanted to ask how he is doing."

His voice sounded honest and sincere. Nowicki, though reluctantly, was ready to accept such an explanation. He looked at Śliwiński, who slowly began to regain colors.

Dominik nodded.

"Let him come in," he said. "I think we should close some cases."

"Thank you."

Marczak stepped over the threshold and looked inside.

"I can see that nothing has changed here."

"Just a coffee table," Andrzej said dryly. "The old one was no longer usable"

The manager gritted his teeth.

"I'm not proud of what happened then. I have already apologized for that, but if it is necessary, I apologize again" he looked straight into Dominik's eyes. "I really do regret it."

"Yes I know."

"As for the other events, this is what I wanted to talk about. Does it seem to me or is something seething?"

Nowicki did not move from his place.

"Andrzej, I can handle it" Dominik assured him. The actor's voice was trembling a little, but it was clear that he was trying to show his former lover that he was now a different, strong man. "The kitchen is three steps away. You will hear and see everything from there."

The photographer turned and walked away without a word.

"But most of all - how do you feel?" Marek asked.

Dominik sat down in the very corner of the couch. Marczak took his place in the armchair, deliberately sitting as far away from Śliwiński as possible and so that Nowicki could see him from the kitchen.

"Bad," Dominik admitted honestly. He wouldn't tell Andrzej that, but Marek… Marek was a special case. Seven years of unlimited trust did not go unnoticed. It was not that he did not trust Nowicki, but he did not want to disturb him, and Marczak was with him - it might seem that he has always been. Besides, he was the main reason for it all "Since that party with the French ... You don't even realize how it hurt me! How could you make me a whore?"

Marczak lowered his head.

"Forgive me. Then I really… didn't think. I was angry that you wanted to abandon me and I wanted to get back together. You were so anxious to keep a secret that I had to disclose it to someone, show it off, and give you a little lesson. I didn't think it might be any different for you."

"It made me stay in bed for several days" Dominik answered very coldly. "I felt as if I was ... as if ... I wanted to die, I really wanted to cease to exist, If Andrzej had not found me ..."

Emotions let go of Dominik. For the first time he dared to say aloud what had been tormenting his heart for so long, but also for the first time he had Andrzej near him, when he was looking into Marek's eyes. He didn't have to be afraid of anything with Andrzej. Not anyone.

Marczak looked at him with a mix of horror and disbelief. Finally, in a gesture of despair, he covered his mouth with his hand.

"We were together for seven years and I couldn't predict your reaction. No wonder you hate me now. Something like that…"

"It's not hate," he replied softly. "It's a pain. If, after all these years together, you haven't thought how painfully it can hurt to treat me like a whore, then you never loved me. I was just a toy to you, a fucking ass."

"No, that's not true! I have always loved you, I still love you, I just ... Sometimes I have certain needs, certain desires ..."

"For adventures? For women? Orgy? Betrayals? If they were stronger than love for me, what was the love?"

"Don't think it was easy for me. If you ..."

"So it's my fault? If so, why don't you let me go? What you feel is not love, it's obsession! You want me for your own sake! Your trophy, which you can boast about when you feel like it, 'look, here's my sweet lover - Dominik Śliwiński!' Only yours, nobody else's! You took all my friends and acquaintances from me. You even cut me off from my family!"

Dominik had tears in his eyes as he shouted it out to him. When he finished, he blushed with embarrassment, but was relieved. He dropped some boulders from his heart.

"Maybe you're right," Marczak admitted quietly. "However, you are a naive child, you do not realize how you act on people. You exude sex appeal with your whole being. You seduce, you are addictive. I kept you in isolation for your own good. Do you think there are no people in the world who will turn their interest in you into something sick? Do you know how many stars have stalkers?"

The actor turned pale. He remembered the package he had received and the letter in it. One letter only. One package only. This awareness allowed him to regain the colors on his cheeks.

"Maybe I was overprotective and possessive," Marczak continued. "Maybe I took some of your freedom away, but I was doing all this solely for your own good. How you act on people ... Do you think that your new straight friend will keep his paws off for a long time? Do you think he won't drag you to bed?"

There was a heavy silence.

"I see," Marek smiled bitterly and stood up. "Sorry for everything I did to you. I will not fight you on a professional basis. I'll let you leave the agency and my life. I hope you'll never regret that you preferred him to me. Goodbye. Goodbye to you too! Now Dominik's fate is in your hands."

He left. But he left another hole in Dominik's heart.

***

The atmosphere at dinner weighed a few tons of coal and was rather dark like him. After Marczak's visit, they ate their meal in silence, chewing potatoes and meat without appetite.

Nevertheless, Dominik managed to eat everything. He did not enjoy eating, but it was necessary.

"Thanks for the meal. I'll go to bed."

He got up from the table.

"I'll get you your medication in a few minutes."

"Thank you."

On the threshold, Dominik stopped and looked back. He wanted to say something, but he had no idea what he could say. The situation was awkward, only he couldn't pinpoint what exactly had caused the awkwardness. Andrzej was just putting the dishes in the sink and he did not know that Dominik opens his mouth and stops inhaling.

Marczak accused Andrzej of selfishly using Dominik for his own pleasure. It wasn't true. If anything, Śliwiński himself preys on the photographer's goodness, allowing him to look after him even at the cost of his own life. After all, it was he who initiated the kisses first, it was he who seduced him to find solace and ecstasy for himself.

And maybe that was the problem? Maybe Andrzej didn't like the fact that he was seduced by a man?

Gloomy Dominik climbed the stairs. What would he do to mend his relationship with his friend? After all, it was so good for them, so comfortable! One visit from Marek and suddenly everything breaks down.