"Hey, hold your horses!" Nowicki stopped him and reached into his bag. "First we have to talk about a few things and then set a date. You got a new job offer."
Andrzej took a large envelope from his bag and handed it to Śliwiński. The actor sighed in resignation.
"From Mrs. Janka?" Dominik asked.
"No. She was just an intermediary. You know, Dominik, I think you should hire a manager. You know, Marczak wasn't so bad after all..."
Dominik gritted his teeth. Andrzej was probably a bit too naive, and he accused Dominik of it!
"Do not get me wrong!" Nowicki explained immediately. "My point is, he has a good track record and he really cares about your career. He knows how valuable you are..."
"We both have this stage behind us," explained Dominik and showed Andrzej an article in the newspaper. "He already has a new star for his agency."
Nowicki leaned in to read carefully.
"Bruno Kwieciński? Your biggest rival? When did it happen?"
"I don't know, but before Christmas I thought I saw him in Marek's car..."
"You think they're... lovers?" Andrzej asked, surprised. "That Bruno has replaced you not only in the agency?"
"Do you have a problem with this?" Dominik asked.
Now it was Nowicki gritting his teeth, angry with himself. A moment ago they had talked so well, they were planning to go on their honeymoon trip, and now it got strange between them only because Andrzej hadn't thought before he spoke. He upseted Dominik, and maybe he worried him. Andrzej did not do it on purpose, but it happened and now he had to rectify the situation.
He sat down next to Śliwiński.
"Dominik, you know I'm a serious man. A bit stiff. With others, I tolerate a lot, but when it comes to myself…"Andrzej sighed. "My point is, I have no eyes for any man but you. I've never had them. Regardless of what they told me, what they proposed, whether they seduced me or used any other tricks, other men, as, you know, potential objects of affection or passions, do not exist and never existed. You are the only one and I absolutely do not plan to change it. Therefore, I do not feel uncomfortable talking to you about other men and I can work with them. They… Dominik, there are no others. These are just colleagues, associates. Marczak too. He has really helped us a few times, so I think he has redeemed his sins to some extent. I think he, too, has come to terms with the fact that he will never have a chance to have an intimate relationship with any of us. Privately, we all went on."
Dominik sighed.
"I know. I'm sorry. I just..."
Śliwiński himself did not know what he wanted to say. He had no reason not to trust Andrzej, but jealousy was a really sneaky bug. Dominik trusted in Nowicki's love, but he was afraid that he would lose it one day.
"I just know what Marek is like," the young actor explained. "He can really be crazy charming and confuse someone so much that he will completely take them under his control. I know that you are a serious man, very sensible, but the tricks that Marek knows..."
"So you are worried that he will want to do something to me if he has the opportunity?"
Dominik was abashed.
"I know you have no warm feelings for him and that you are physically and mentally strong, but he is so manipulative that if you have too much contact with him, you won't even notice when he wraps you around his little finger. You know, I was also not so naive and weak once..."
"But you were in love and love takes your mind away. I am also in love, but with you and I am not going to succumb to anything, to anyone but you," Andrzej assured him.
"But if he blackmail you..."
"With what? There is nothing to compromise me."
"There is me…"
"Dominik, I don't understand. Do you think that he will use you against me? How?"
"I don't know," Dominik replied nervously. "I just don't want you to interact with him. I just don't trust him, and when you have any relation with him, I get anxious. He is incalculable. Brutal. I know he confessed his love to you and was charming, but he confessed his love to me too, and when I acted out of his way, he suddenly lost control. Let's just avoid contact with him if we don't have to have them, okay?"
"Of course," Nowicki assured taking his hand and squeezing it tightly. Dominik was unnecessarily worried, Andrzej did not have to be afraid of Marczak, but after his bad experiences, the young actor had the right not to trust the former manager. "No more contacts with Marczak, neither private nor professional. But then I guess you really should hire a new manager. Thus, we will completely close Marczak from any excuse for interfering in your world."
"Yes, you are right" Dominik clearly breathed a sigh of relief. "I'll have to think carefully about it. And this proposal you brought...?"
"I did not ask and did not check. I figured since this is a proposition for you, you should be the first to read it."
Dominik smiled sweetly at Andrzej. They were so close to each other that they were almost one, and yet Nowicki respected his partner's privacy and gave him a place to have his own private affairs. Although the envelope contained a business offer, the young actor felt as if Andrzej was handing him a private letter. It is Dominik who decides whether he wants to share its content with his life partner.
"Then let's see..." Śliwiński opened the envelope and took out a proposal. He read it carefully and finally laughed.
"What? Something interesting?" Nowicki asked, interested.
"You guessed. Someone seemed interested in my past and the school I attended. Or maybe someone leaked information that I like cooking? Look, I was offered to run an entertaining culinary program. Its title is Dominik's Kitchen."
"Really?" the photographer was honestly surprised. He knew his man was a great cook, but he didn't think anyone might come up with the idea of using his talent on TV.
"Apparently someone did a survey on the Internet and it turned out," here Dominik blushed charmingly "that when it comes to stimulating the appetite, most interviewers indicated me. It's because of this yogurt ad..."
It was definitely the yogurt ad that made Andrzej feel proud and concerned at the same time. His anxiety was erotic in nature, because Dominik stimulated the appetite not only for food.
"This program" Nowicki grunted, trying to control his waking fantasies "what would it be?"
"It looks like cooking. In some episodes, I would teach viewers and invited guests to prepare simple dishes that young people can easily learn, in other episodes the guests would teach me and the audience."
"That sounds really interesting," said Andrzej.
Dominik nodded enthusiastically.
"For me, too," he admitted. "I like cooking and some of the dishes are really easy. The description states that the program is intended mainly for young people of high school age to encourage them to acquire new skills and rational consumption. Hmm, that's right, bake a sponge cake takes only a few minutes of work and it is much cheaper than buying it in a pastry shop. You can also prepare tasty creams and cake masses yourself... Andrzej, is something wrong? You look weird."
"I'm hungry," Nowicki admitted in a slightly changed voice.
"Oh sorry!" Dominik jumped up and on his way to the kitchen informed nervously: "I forgot you came back from work!"
At that moment, Dominik was acting as a housewife, but not because he was effeminate, but because now Andrzej was working professionally and the young actor was practically bored sitting idly at home. In addition, taking care of the house, such as washing, cleaning and cooking, brought him relaxation. After all, not every man has to go hunting or take part in street races to relax. And since the house had to be kept clean anyway, Śliwiński combined the pleasant with the useful.
Dominik had just stepped into the kitchen door when Nowicki suddenly embraced him from behind.
"This is not what I meant," the photographer said, whispering fondly in his ear.
A thrill of excitement ran over the young actor's body. His mouth smiled so widely that if Andrzej could see the expression on his face, he would immediately regret not having his camera with him.
Dominik put his head in such a way as to feel Nowicki's breath on his cheek. His breath and his mouth.
The young actor felt warm and safe in his partner's arms. He knew hell would freeze over before Andrzej hurt him. Dominik had never felt so good with anyone before and was not so calm and so happy.