At the meeting, the topic of the new offer was raised, which they reached on Friday. It was confirmed that within two weeks she would be introduced to the market and Mikołaj, as one of her fathers, received congratulations and applause. Although they gave him pleasure, he felt that they were a little exaggerated, because most of the work was done by none other than the Szwedas himself. Colleagues, however, looked convinced of his contribution and when they left the room Jarek Kamiński from the financial, who was his regular neighbor at meetings, patted him on the back.
"E, who would have thought you were such a specialist. Elwira must have stifled your abilities."
"Come on. I just analyzed the old offers, collected the data and improved the design roughly. It was Szwedas who polished it."
"You probably spent a lot of time together, huh?"
"Some."
"Tell me honestly" Kamiński lowered his voice "didn't he try to pick you up?"
Mikołaj felt as if someone had suddenly stolen all the air in his lungs.
"What? What are you talking about?"
"Well, he's a faggot!"
These words surprised Skrzynecki so much that he lost his voice. It is true, Stefan was gay, but for some reason the sentence uttered by Kamiński had very unhealthy overtones. They sounded like an insult.
"He is an excellent specialist," he finally answered quietly, coldly.
"Well, you're probably right" Jarek patted him on the back again and turned into the room of his department. Mikołaj was left alone with the impression that he did not understand something here.
Jarek Kamiński had just over forty, a wife and two children, specifically two beautiful daughters, whose photo he kept on his desk. For about two years he was also a good friend at work. Surrounded by women in his department, he sometimes liked to talk to a guy and it turned out that they found a common language with Mikołaj. Skrzynecki liked and respected his older colleague. He considered him tolerant and honest. He would never say that he would hear words from his mouth that would indicate a lack of tolerance on his part or even contempt. Jarek really was a man who could judge people by appearances?
But since Kamiński said what he said, does others in this company thought about the Szwedas same? Did his professional skills stop to have mining and for them was he primarily a "faggot"?
It wasn't fair. Not only towards Stefan but also towards him. He will also stop counting as an employee, his skills and qualifications will not matter. If it became known to everyone that he is sleeping with a man, he will simply be a faggot.
Mikołaj felt his blood chilled.
He did not want this stigma. He liked this company. He earned well, had prospects for development and promotion, worked in the company of great people - he did not want to give up all this. He was fine. Risk it all for what? For a few moments of unearthly sex? It's just sex! Ordinary, pure, physical pleasure with a guy who has not been in one place for more than a year. Usually only a few months. From what is between him and Stefan (whatever it is) there will be no connection. It's just sex, a bit protracted summer adventure, for which it's not worth risking a well-structured professional life. Sooner or later the Szwedas will leave and Mikołaj will not even miss him. Let's just don't stay with a tarnished opinion.
Suddenly Mikołaj realized something else. He saw the handsome, smiling face of Stefan with his serene, seductive eyes in front of his imagination and wondered if he was acting like Jarek at this moment? Isn't he rejecting this cool guy just because he's gay? Does he not discriminate against him because of his sexual preferences?
This is something completely different, he said. It's not like he denies him as a specialist and professional. This is only about securing his own future threatened by immoral relationships. Sex cannot cause him to fall professionally. Even if it's the best sex of his life.
Only, is there only sex between them at the moment, nothing else? Stefan has repeatedly said that he likes Mikołaj. He also liked Szwedas in his own way. At work hit and strong, privately, despite his dominant nature, he seemed shy and sensitive. Skrzynecki remembered perfectly well when Stefan drove him home and offered to buy him a cold medicine.
A nice gesture, really, but is it enough to risk a career for him? Probably not.
***
The next day, Ewa had a better mood, which could not be said about Mikołaj. He didn't sleep well that night, which surprised him. He was always a person of quick decisions and action, so why now, this one element of his life, caused him so much trouble?
The choice was simple. There was actually nothing to think about. The decision was made. His career in this company was too important for him to risk her for sex. He wasn't with Stefan. They didn't even have anything emotional. Yes, they liked each other, but Mikołaj liked many people, Szwedas no more than such, for example Łukasz or Jarek. Well, maybe a little more and in a slightly different way, but that's it. They were both grown men, so Stefan should accept his decision without any problems. But why did Mikołaj feel like he was having a moral hangover?
Usually during working hours he and the Szwedas did not have the opportunity to meet and talk. They were both busy with their duties. When they were working together on a new project, they could occasionally meet to meet his expectations, but now they had completely separate tasks. Skrzynecki was happy about that. He should tell Stefan that he no longer wanted to meet outside work, but he didn't have the courage to do so. For some reason, he felt that such a confession could hurt the man. He would probably feel bad at hearing such a thing, so maybe it would be better to avoid Stefan and let the situation end by itself?
He knew it was a cowardly dodge, but he was not yet able to face the Szwedas. Not so quickly after the crazy weekend that they spent almost without leaving his apartment and immersed in all possible male-male lust.
So he sank into his work to a maximum, trying to limit his stay outside the room of his department.
"Doesn't that seem strange to you?" Łukasz asked him just before the end of the week.
"What?"
"I don't know myself. The atmosphere in the company. You didn't notice?"
"You know, I was a little busy. What's up?"
"People are starting to whisper. To meet only in the circle of their departments."
"Yes?"
Skrzynecki was genuinely surprised. Until now, at least in the kitchen, there was no division and everyone treated themselves with respect and sympathy. There were always rumors, as everywhere, but they did not cause much reluctance.
"And what is being said?" He asked.
"Apparently the police appeared in the company. They talked with the president and the Szwedas."
Mikołaj's jaw dropped alone, without any intentions.
"No balls!"
"Today they were in our company for the second time."
"Have you seen them? Uniforms?"
"No, I didn't see, but Ela from the reception said something about it ..."
"Police? With us? I wonder what for?"
"Exactly. Judging by the tenses, these two don't seem to want to place an order with us."
The whole situation aroused Skrzynecki's curiosity so much that for the first time this week he got out of his hiding place in the office. In fact, the atmosphere was quite nervous and the people in the company seemed to be intrigued by something - just like him. They gave themselves questioning glances but in response they received exactly the same. Something seemed to be going on, but no one knows what.
He noticed the Szwedas by accident. He walked in the company of two lawyers and did not even pay attention to Skrzynecki, but Mikołaj clearly saw the tiredness on his face. Something was actually happening and definitely nothing good. For a moment he wanted to find an excuse and ask him about the situation, but the opportunity did not come and Mikołaj remained in the dark until Monday.
The weekly meeting of department managers aimed at reporting on the previous week, presenting plans for the current one, and sharing information and the company's development plan with other departments was about to begin, but there was no president or Szwedas in the conference room yet. Both were in the company - Mikołaj saw them in person - but apparently they had some other business to do. Nobody warned managers that they were late, so they waited quite politely, although nervousness was felt among them.
"I wonder what's going on?" Jarek asked Mikołaj. Skrzynecki glanced at the head of the finance department. "Don't you have any information?"
"None," he admitted.
"What, Szwedas didn't talk?"
"I haven't talked to him for over a week. We've already finished the project. Rather, you should have more accurate rumors."
"I?"
"I have not once seen girls from your department flirt with him in the kitchen. They should have the latest information."
Kamiński pursed his lips. Mikołaj gave him an innocent look, but he was glad that he had bitten an older colleague. Since his last comment on Szwedas homosexuality, Skrzynecki has less and less liked the head of the finance department. So if Kamiński wants some more silly statements, Mikołaj will gladly take up the challenges.
However, the door opened and the president entered the conference room followed by the Szwedas. They both resembled experienced funeral home workers, which did not appeal to Skrzynecki at all. Probably the case they were dealing with was not quite successful. One could even risk saying that things are getting worse. The meeting, however, began and proceeded very peacefully, as always. Only at the end did the president return to a more cloudy mood.
He clearly had something important to say.