"Thank you," Zygmunt Śliwiński said. "I know that Dominik is already an adult, but for me he will still be my child and I will not stop worrying about him. But it looks like he's in good hands. It may sound strange because I'm talking about a son, but please take care of him."
"You don't have to ask. Because you see, Dominik is really special. No one else has given me as much affection in life as he has. I… I really love him."
The confession did not pass through his mouth easily, but his mouth was dissolved in this honest conversation sprinkled with vodka.
"Good" Śliwiński got up. "I'll be getting ready for the train."
"No way," Nowicki sprang to his feet. "It's late in the evening, you were drinking, and you are far away from home."
"Take it easy, boy, the trains leave every hour."
"Still, I insist that you stay. Please. I wouldn't be able to meet Dominik's eyes if anything happened to his father. We have a spare bedroom upstairs, and you will have a closer look at the house. When I sober up a little, I'll make dinner and make breakfast in the morning. You can call home and tell me that you will be staying here ..."
"All right, all right" Śliwiński laughed. "But then we'll finish the bottle and you tell me about yourself."
Nowicki swallowed loudly.
"Since that is the condition, I guess I have no choice" he agreed.
After all, he didn't make dinner so they had to settle for herring, mushrooms and cold cuts on stale bread. And although he knew that he would have a good hangover tomorrow, Andrzej did not yield to Śliwiński or for a glass in emptying the bottle.
***
Zygmunt Śliwiński left his son's house when it was still dark outside. As he said goodbye, he shook Nowicki's hand in a manly manner, letting him understand again that he was accepted. Despite his friendly attitude, Andrzej breathed a sigh of relief when Dominik's father left the apartment. Having him hosted while his son was away was a bit awkward. Nevertheless, the visit was not the worst and brought good news. Not only Dominik's sexual orientation but also his partner were accepted by almost the entire family. The exception was still Mrs. Helena, but not only was she in a decided minority, she was also under constant pressure from her family to give up and accept the facts.
Nowicki had no idea what Dominik was doing now. It was just before ten o'clock p.m. in Los Angeles at this point. Dominik could be literally anywhere doing anything. Andrzej wanted to share information with him from home, so he quickly wrote him an e-mail and his father's visit and the invitation he gave. Within a minute the home telephone rang.
Andrzej barely picked up the phone when he heard:
"My father? Really?"
Andrzej would recognize this sweet, excited voice anywhere. At the sound of it, his heart was filled with joy that he had not expected.
"He really come. He just got on the train."
There was silence on the other side. Was there a connection problem?
"Hello, Dominik! Can you hear me?"
"Yes, just ... I missed your voice so much. I forgot how sexy it is. It was enough for me to ... You know."
"No, I don't know" Andrzej's heart jumped. Another body part too. "I can't see you."
"You do not guess?" Dominik groaned.
"Has something grown in your pants?"
"I'm not wearing pants. I just got out of the shower. I'm just wrapped in a hotel towel."
A very indecent and stunning image stood before the eyes of Nowicki's imagination. More than once he saw his lover with a naked torso and legs and only with hips covered - more out of habit and for warmth than out of shame.
"Are you standing or sitting?" Andrzej asked, his mouth dry. He himself walked over to the couch and, realizing his knees were buckling, fell heavily on it.
"I'm on the bed. It's bigger than the one in my bedroom, but so cold and empty. It was only your voice that made my body start to heat up."
Andrzej closed his eyes.
"Can… can you touch? You know…"
"No, I don't know" Dominik was teasing now. "Tell me where. Tell me exactly where to touch."
Oh shit! Andrzej swallowed hard. Did he really dare to make this conversation? There was something damn indecent about it, but because he was talking to Dominik, he felt not only sexual excitement but a pleasant warmth in his heart. Only with him, Andrzej could allow himself such an indecent telephone conversation to reach across the ocean and two continents.
"Unwind the towel and touch your penis" Nowicki ordered, knowing that his lover would certainly do it.
"Oh! It actually gets hard without even touching it. But if you want ... I touched him. Now what do I do?"
"Pamper yourself" Andrzej's voice grew heavy and harsh with excitement.
"How?" Dominik asked helplessly. "Tell me. I want to hear it from you."
Hell, now Śliwiński definitely played. There was no way he didn't know how to caress, but since they couldn't see each other, they should at least hear each other to arouse their sexual tension even more. So Nowicki will talk.
"Put your fingers around it and ... move it."
"Your voice ... loses fluency. Is ... something ... happening to you? Oh!"
"Yes. You turn me on, goddamn it!"
"So why don't you take yours out? Put your fingers around it and… move it. It's pretty… easy and… exciting… Oh, Andrzej!"
Oh, yes, it was exciting and Nowicki reached for his zipper, where excitement was clearly felt. Dominik's sexy voice and his bold, even obscene behavior made their bodies react unambiguously despite thousands of kilometers.
"Dominik, you little pervert," Nowicki said, his voice muffled by excitement. "Don't give me phone sex here."
"But ... it was you ... you started ... Oh…! Andrzej, I want you! I want you to put it inside me ... Firmly ... I want to feel it ... I want to feel you ... Ah ... I can't ...! Ooooooooh…!"
"Already?"
"I've fasted since our goodbye."
"Me too, but ..."
But no "buts" applied when the first droplets appeared on his own penis.
"Ha!" He moaned into the receiver. "You are amazing. Even by phone ..."
"Are ... are you too?"
"Yes. Dominik, when are you coming back?"
"On Monday. I'll see you Monday night."
"Prepare for the worst. That night you won't go to sleep ..."
"You promise?"
"Oh, yeah ... Definitely ... Shit, I have to change my pants."
Dominik laughed mischievously.
"And I'll take a shower again. I love you, Andrzej."
"I love you, Dominik."
"As for Christmas, we'll talk when I get back."
"We'll talk when I'm finished with you."
"And who is the pervert here? I love you. Bye!"
"I love you. Bye!"
They hung up and Andrzej fell back on the couch. Tired, longing.
So Dominik is back on Monday. How well. Never in his life has Nowicki felt such a longing as in those days when his lover was away. Before that, he hadn't missed because he had no one. Only after entering his life, Śliwiński gave it fullness and splendor. It was only when you got to know something that you could miss it. And Andrzej felt this emotion with his whole being.
To love so much it hurts. Miss so much that you suffer.
Yet it was a sweet pain. The sweetest there can be.
***
Andrzej reported to the boss that he was taking Tuesday off.
"Pre-Christmas shopping?" Mrs. Janka asked.
"No," he replied plainly. "Dominik comes home Monday night."
"You youth," she giggled. "How does he like the United States?"
"They're okay, but he wants to go back."
"Well, I think, since such a cake is waiting for him!"
Nowicki did not mind the comments of Mrs. Pasek. He was used to them by now. He also knew that there was nothing wrong behind them. Mrs. Janka certainly did not have an eye on him as the object of her fantasies. Rather, it was a symptom of sentiment towards the old days when she madly loved a gifted photographer. He reminded her of him with his talent, and probably also with his personality, but she knew she was no longer the age when she could be the center of attention for young men.
"How's the matter with Patricia Maj?"
"Well. At least so far. Yesterday I watched the place where she want to pose. We have a session on Sunday."
"That's great. I don't know if she told you…" Her thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of the phone. "Wait a second."
Andrzej was waiting when Mrs. Pasek was answering the phone. She listened carefully. She was nodding her head. Finally she said.
"All right. But not before lunch. Did they say what exactly they mean? Oh. It's two o'clock."
She hung up the phone and shook her head.
"Italians," she muttered. "They're looking for a new face. They run around all agencies looking for the one."
"We have a lot of choice. They will surely find something. But you were talking about Patrycja ..."