Chapter 93 - In The Bloom

Śliwiński took a deep breath and extended his hand with the bag to the photographer.

"Thank you for everything you do for me. I know it's not much, but please take it as a symbol of my gratitude."

Andrzej blinked his eyes.

"You got me a gift?" He wanted to make sure he hadn't misheard.

"Mm. I am ashamed to admit that I actually do not know what you like or what you would like to have, so I used Paulina's help. She was good enough to devote a whole day to me. So ... sorry if you don't like what I bought."

Nowicki was so surprised that he took the bag automatically and muttered a vague 'thank you'.

So Dominik wasn't on any date? Yesterday he made an appointment with Paulina to help him choose a gift for him?

Still not sure what was going on, Nowicki looked into the bag. There was a nicely packed box of quite a size inside. He took it out, opened them and ...

He looked at the logo on the bag and back at the contents. By surprise, he was speechless.

"I really don't know anything about it, so sorry if you don't like it ..."

"Are you kidding? This gem actually takes pictures by itself. The matrix has 51.4 megapixels and is more than one and a half times larger than in normal full-frame bodies. Three frames per second is nothing for him, in JPEGs he can make bursts of up to thirty, in RAWs of ten. Million-dot resolution with increased image clarity and enriched with technology that reduces flare. It is a work of art among modern cameras![1] Only that I can't accept it."

"Why not? You like it."

"Dominik, this is something that costs more than a new car!"

"But ... my life is probably worth a little more." Dominik was confused. "I know, you didn't do it for the money, but… Why have money if you can't spend it to please someone who's important? So please ... do it for me."

Andrzej did not look at the camera, the list price of which oscillated around thirty five thousand, but at the man who offered it to him. Dominik's aquamarine eyes sparkled with uncertainty and hope as if he really put a lot of heart into choosing this gift and was afraid of Nowicki refusing it.

Śliwiński really got involved in buying this camera. After all, he had spent the whole day choosing something that would satisfy Andrzej's taste. No one else took that long to please him. And yet Dominik had been walking around the house from yesterday evening excited, as if he really wanted to make a good choice.

Nowicki knew that it was too valuable a gift, but he could not say no - not if the kitten's sweet eyes were looking at him. After all, it was a gift above all from the heart.

"Thank you," he smiled, capitulating. This caused an explosion of a smile on Śliwiński's lips. "It's really perfect."

"No, I thank you! Thank you for being my friend!"

***

Andrzej's phone call surprised him. From mid-September, he sent his work to modeling and advertising agencies, but this was the first time he had received an invitation to an interview. In addition, it was from one of the largest agencies in the country.

"They really invited you," exclaimed Dominik delighted. "I'm so glad!"

"I suspect it's your merit. I have included two of your photos in my portfolio."

"I'm happy that I could help!"

It's been a month since the Śliwiński's visit in doctors office, three weeks since they returned from this wonderful trip to the Bug River, and it seemed that Dominik was bursting with health and enthusiasm. All the time he was taking his prescribed medications and following all the doctor's instructions, but Andrzej was surprised to see something else - the actor was always at least three times happier after spending the night together.

Right after returning from the Bug River, Andrzej announced the time without sex between them. He wanted to rethink some things and, above all, wean Dominik from sleeping with men. He lasted a week. After all, at one of the dinners, the tension between them was so great that he actually had a very limited choice - to throw himself at Dominik right away and vent the accumulated in both sexual fruastration, or to suffer physical and emotional pain and throw himself at Dominik later.

And this is how he found out once again that, living in the same house as Dominik Śliwiński, he was unable to avoid physical interactions, and he had no desire to move away from him. After all, he became more and more dependent on the actor.

"Well, but I haven't got the job yet."

"This interview is pure formality. Have you read what they have been writing about me lately?" Dominik laughed.

Andrzej also smiled. After a mini sensation with the stalker and Marczak's speech to the media, slightly different rumors related to Dominik began to leak. Someone let go of the paint that immediately after parting ways with his longtime manager, Śliwiński began to be in the world, not to mention that, he immediately accepted the role proposal and his extravagance went so far as to have a private photographer. He is seen more and more often in the company of several women, and it has even been written that he is now recapturing the years of his life under Marczak's dictatorship.

Nothing has been said about the pony he had bought yet. Fortunately, it was supposed to be a surprise gift for Martynka. However, the little horse was selected and the advance was paid. Now he was waiting for the most important thing - the approval of the future owner.

There was a lot of truth in all these rumors. They dined with Andrzej at Paulina's regularly, often in the company of her and Martynka. Once again, the whole group go to the zoo and Łazienki - of course they fell victim to paparazzi there. Dominik did not care at all, and the eight-year-old was delighted that her photo appeared in the newspapers.

Śliwiński felt sorry for Ewelina, who as a consequence did not win neither Andrzej nor him, so as compensation he took her and Marta to a small outdoor event. He met Marta on another occasion, completely by accident, and they went shopping together, which ended with Andrzej's new bag for photographic equipment. Dominik seemed to be really blooming.

The rumor about his participation in the new film was released by Maciej Werner himself and he immediately confessed to the actor. It was already known that Śliwiński was getting ready for a new role, but everything was quite vague and did not arouse such excitement in the media. Werner considered the participation of Dominik in his production for certain and decided to spoil his fans a bit by building their appetites. He called every few days to make sure everything was okay. He did not ask for details, but he was interested in the general outline of Śliwiński's health. Dominik calmed him down and said that he felt much better, but the doctor had to give him the green light. The visit was coming soon and everyone was positive about the results.

It looked like Dominik was on top, and he started to really live a full life. He was not afraid to go out among people or talk to journalists. His star began to shine even more intensely in the media light.

"I'm not going to the interview" Andrzej announced suddenly, shocking Śliwiński.

"What? Why?"

"Then I have another, more important meeting."

"What? What meeting?"

The actor leaned in to see the date.

"Never mind" Nowicki quickly blocked his view. Too late.

"You mustn't do this," Dominik said, frowning. "You mustn't give up the interview for the sake of such a trifle..."

"It's not a trifle. If I don't go to the doctor's check-ups with you, you won't be there yourself."

"Not true! Did you forget I promised? Throughout the month, I did everything the doctor told me to do, and more, just to get my results right. And they will come out right. I want to do those tests to prove to you that you don't have to worry about me. It will only be a formality, you'll see, so there's no way you will give up this chance because of me. I forbid!"

"As if you had power over me," Nowicki snapped coldly.

"I have" the actor decided that he had to prove something. "You do not believe me?" He moved closer to Andrzej.

"Are you playing sex appeal again? Is this your only advantage over me?"

"I don't need any more. After all, we both know that you love to make love to me" He licked Nowicki's auricle.

"Come on, this really isn't the time," he tried to push him away, but it wasn't that easy. Neither the actor was cooperative, nor was Andrzej in his heart willing to do so. But he had common sense. "Such things are not done when you make an appointment with someone."

"I'll stop teasing you if you promise me something…"

[1] I ask technology experts to remember that I took this book out of a drawer, where it had been lying for some time. Technology is probably moving faster than the humble author of the text.