Chapter 84 - A Cabin By The River

"You care a lot about me," Dominik added glowing with happiness. "I don't want your efforts to be wasted."

He saw a shy but proud smile on Nowicki's lips and knew that it pleased him. Dominik's heart leapt with joy. He wanted to touch Andrzej, feel his skin, feel his scent and - for that he hoped most - drag him to bed.

"Are we there yet?" Dominik asked a little impatiently.

"No, what?"

"Nothing. I just can not wait."

"You haven't been away too much lately, have you?"

"In fact, I haven't been on vacation since…" Śliwiński mused. He really had been thinking hard about the last time he had such a trip. "I don't remember." I guess it was a while."

"But you know that we are going there not only on vacation?" Dominik did not understand, so Nowicki added: "I took the camera."

"I know" smiled Śliwiński.

He didn't mind appearing in front of the camera as a movie character, but he had big problems when he was going to be filmed or photographed as himself. Dominik was a shy man who was not easy to open up to or trust a stranger, so since he started his career seven years ago, he has not made any friendships or even deeper relationships. It is true that his possessive lover and manager in one person also had his part in it, but the fact remained that Śliwiński was very lonely and thirsty for ordinary human closeness. Nowicki, who so suddenly appeared in his life, filled his every gap and his lens was not a threat to Dominik, but a friend.

"Actually, I'm glad you took it" Dominik replied. "Oh, I can't wait anymore!"

"Only a dozen more kilometers. We'll be there in about ten minutes."

The information pleased Śliwiński but also made him nervous. He had high hopes for this trip and trembled at the thought that they might turn out to be a disappointment.

***

The small houses were scattered every fifty or hundred meters apart. All of them were on a fenced property with so many tall trees that it could be considered separate parts of the forest, where someone had erected a building in the clearing without any specific architectural style or even the material from which it was made. The one they came in front of was a combination of wood, brick, and what looked like chaff. It was painted with plain oil paint the most common brown and plain blue.

"How beautiful!" Dominik called enthusiastically. He was completely honest. Objectively, this place was nothing special, but for him here and now it was a wonderful dacha where he can spend some beautiful days with his beloved.

"Nothing special" Nowicki grimaced.

"Are you kidding? It is phenomenal. Can I go inside?"

"Keys" Andrzej tossed him a key ring.

It was still morning and the autumn sun was illuminating the area nicely. Golden, orange, and red leaves swayed lazily in the slight breeze. While walking towards the house, Dominik looked around enjoying the view, and his nostrils with the pleasant smell of moisture that accompanies all water reservoirs. At one point he had the impression that he saw something silvery between the trees. He deviated from the track and saw a broad ribbon of river below. He paused, captivated by the sight.

"Ten years ago the river ran further" explained Nowicki standing next to him. "A flood from a few years ago changed its course. There, several houses were washed away and collapsed into the current. The next such flood may make this one disappear as well, which is why my friend decided not to buy something better. He had left this place for himself because… well, the view is really beautiful."

"Oh yes!"

Dominik was charmed. The river meandered about three meters below his feet, lazy, calm, allowing the sandbanks to form islands overgrown with reeds. A few hundred meters down there was a small pier with three moored boats. On the other side there was a checkerboard of meadows and freshly plowed fields.

The actor looked back at the bungalow and saw that two windows overlooked that way.

"These are the bedroom windows" explained Andrzej. He didn't interfere with any 'yours' or 'mine'. Does that mean something?

"Let's go inside," the actor suggested. He wanted to see for himself how many bedrooms there are in the house as soon as possible.

"Lead it. After all, you have the keys."

Right, he thought.

As for the house itself, Śliwiński had no expectations. It was just an interior to protect against the cold, rain and prying eyes. His hopes were related to what could happen in this cottage.

Immediately after entering, an open, though not very large, space was revealed to him. On the left there was a stove, a sink, a refrigerator and cabinets, and on the right a fireplace. Fireplace! Straight ahead, behind the half-wall, you could see a wide bed (only one !!!) and windows overlooking the river.

Yes, Dominik exclaimed triumphantly in his mind and stepped over the threshold.

"A bit of dust in here" Andrzej apologized. "No one has been here since July."

"It's okay," Śliwiński replied enthusiastically and showed Nowicki one of his most radiant smiles. "You know I like to clean up."

"Yes, but now I'll take care of them. You should rest."

"No way! I could stay in bed at home! Here ... Here I want to relax. Your friend seems to have some cleaners here, a floor brush and a mop." He looked around the interior.

"They should be here somewhere" Andrzej looked into the cupboard by the front door.

"Oh, it looks like you've been here once or twice. With a girl?"

"Sometimes" admitted Andrzej. "Some time ago a friend won this place at poker. He makes them available to us when we want to go out of town."

"Hmm, You have friends who win at cards holiday cottages."

"People put up different things: money, valuables, cars, sometimes even their girlfriends."

"Really?" Dominik was sincerely surprised. "And you ... are you good at poker?"

"Not really," he admitted, "that's why I don't play."

"Have you ever won or lost ... a girl?"

Andrzej looked at him from under his long lashes and Dominik felt a shiver of excitement. What would it be like to be paying off the debt in this man's arms? Would he enforce it to the last drop of sweat or show chivalry and return her/him intact? Or maybe a kiss would be enough, which would prove his charm and leave indelible memories at the same time?

"Is something on your mind?" asked the photographer looking at him shrewdly.

"Nothing" Dominik replied immediately taking from his hand a cloth and a furniture spray. Too bad, these fantasies had already turned him on. "I just don't know anything about your past and I'm a little curious."

"There is nothing interesting" Nowicki pulled out the brush. "I was leading a rather normal life. School, studies, work, nothing really interesting."

"And friends? You certainly have more than just Paulina and Marta."

"Just Paulina, actually. Marta is more like a good acquaintance. I have a few buddies, but we're not close. We rarely meet."

"Why?"

"We have our own lives, other interests. Our paths diverged."

"But this one is lending you the keys to his cabin."

"But I take pictures of his girlfriends."

"Any specials? For example… in negligee?"

"It happened" Nowicki laughed.

"And the nudes?" Dominik was genuinely interested not only in the answer, but also in how Andrzej would give her.

"These too, though rarely" Andrzej's voice was completely natural, it did not tremble even for a second. "In college, we even had to photograph nudes to pass the subject, so this is a photo for me like any other."

"And did you photograph someone close to your heart?"

"Never in the act or in the nude."

"Why?"

"Paulina and Martynka are really close to my heart, but they are like family. We would all feel uncomfortable in this situation. And Martynka is only a child."

"Right, stupid me. But I do not."

"Sorry?"

"I said I wouldn't feel stupid if you wanted to take a picture of me like this."

The silence lasted a few heartbeats, and finally Andrzej broke it. His voice was calm, deeper than usual.

"Be careful, or I'll take your words seriously and use them against you."

"Can I really count on this?"

"Such photos are not safe for you" Andrzej noticed. "If they accidentally fall into the wrong hands, you could be in trouble."

"I know" Dominik sighed, collecting a layer of dust on the cloth. "I regret more and more that I am not an ordinary person, not known to anyone Kowalski, who can enjoy freedom."

"Believe me, such photos would be detrimental to the average Kowalski" Andrzej started sweeping. "If his boss found out about them, for example, he might lose his job because of them."

Śliwiński sighed silently. At that point, he himself thought that maybe losing his job wouldn't be a terrible thing in his case.