Is one nice word enough to please him? Is he so sensitive? Andrzej decided that he needed to be more aware of how he was behaving and what he was saying.
"Actually, there's one more thing I want to talk to you about," he announced lightly.
"Yes?"
Andrzej was already sitting at the table, and Śliwiński was serving him a plump and aromatic omelet. The orange juice was waiting for him, and the coffee was finishing its brewing process.
"I thought a lot about it. Actually, I couldn't help but think about it and to be honest, I'd rather get it off my conscience." Andrzej took an envelope with money out of his briefcase. "Maybe it's not the best time, yes over breakfast, but I really can't keep the money. I couldn't spend them."
Dominik stared at them glumly, holding the coffee pot in his hand.
"I explained to myself" continued Andrzej "that I only sold the photos that I took. After all, I am a photographer and this is my job. The truth is, however, that by taking these photos and threatening to publish them, I exceeded certain limits of decency. Not only was this unfair, it also took a heavy toll on my honor. I'm sorry."
Without a word, Śliwiński took the envelope and threw it into one of the drawers, as if he immediately wanted to remove it from his eyes and memory. He poured coffee into mugs and sat down across from his guest.
"There was no case," he announced, looking him straight in the eye. Andrzej had trouble reading his expression. Dominik's lips were smiling, but his eyes were moist.
It couldn't be that he was enjoying the money back. Maybe he felt sad because he remembered how the money came to Nowicki's possession? Andrzej was unable to figure it out, so he gave up.
"Thank you."
"As for the portfolio," continued Dominik "I don't know when we will be able to start the session. Today I am meeting with the manager to discuss the movie proposals I have received. Only then will I know what my schedule will be for the next few days and weeks."
So Dominik meets Marczak! No wonder he looked emotionally tired. Andrzej remembered how sorry he felt when the next day after the attack the man did not give a sign of his life. It was only the next day that he spoke purely for business, which was another blow for the actor. They'll probably meet today for the first time since that traumatic event and it was perfectly understandable that Śliwiński was nervous at the thought of meeting his long-time lover.
The photographer wondered if Marczak finally apologized to Dominik.
"What about your schedule?" asked Śliwwiński. A softly sounding voice snapped Andrzej out of his thoughts.
"I'm actually a freelancer, but it looks like I'm quitting my job anyway."
"Really?" His amazement was sincere.
"I was supposed to do it a few days ago. It took a while, but the decision has already been made."
"But ..." Dominik instinctively looked towards the neighboring house.
"The editorial office rents it only until the end of the month. I quit my job last August. In September, a family with a little son will live there. The room upstairs will be his. You'll be safe from voyeurs by now.
"Ah, yes ..." said Dominik. Andrzej again had a problem with reading Śliwiński's reaction. He had no idea if it was a voice of relief or disappointment. But why would he be disappointed? Absurd.
They ate the rest of the meal in silence as it grew colder and colder. The breakfast was tasty, to say the least, and the photographer decided that even if Dominik quit his job as an actor, he could confidently run a restaurant.
"There is a new, interesting movie proposal?" Nowicki asked over coffee.
"Not really. Another romantic comedy and some independent cinema, the script and the protagonist of which I do not understand - it will probably be cult in a few years, but I do not know how I will survive on the set. By the way, can I see what you brought?"
"Of course" Andrzej brought out his own portfolio.
Dominik looked through them in silence while Andrzej drank his coffee and watched him closely over his mug. The actor devoted a few moments of attention to each photo, but he did not comment on any, which made the photographer's heart beat faster. What if he doesn't like his work? What if Dominik resigns from cooperation and Andrzej will quit the tabloid, he will remain destitute, but with a nice loan?
Śliwiński finished watching the album and returned to its beginning.
"You arranged the photos in an interesting way," he noted. "It's like telling the story of your romance with the lens."
Nowicki was surprised by his perceptiveness.
"That's right," he admitted. "Most people think that they are arranged by subject, while they are arranged in chronological order."
"And it is the subject of interest, not yours point of view, that has changed over time. You are a very good portraitist, but ... why exactly portraits?"
"The man on the front page is my grandfather. On my fifteenth birthday, he gave me the first camera in my life and this is one of my first photos. I was a real jerk back then, and I wasn't really interested in what was happening around me. Grandpa had cancer, which I didn't know. He died a few months later and I was left with this photo of him. When I come back to it, memories come back too. I want to capture a fragment of the passing time and keep it forever for those who remain."
Only after he had finished speaking did Andrzej notice that Dominik was staring at him with glittering eyes. There was something about that aquamarine gaze that made his heart beat faster. Dominik grinned suddenly.
"I want you to capture me. Me as a human. People know me for my roles, but that's not me. When I am gone, I will only be left with a few lies."
"You don't have ordinary photos from ordinary life?"
"No. Maybe that's why I liked that photo you took when I cleaned up so much."
This simple answer surprised Andrzej and made him sad. Who was supposed to take ordinary, everyday photos of Dominik, if there was no one in his ordinary, everyday life?
He smiled at him.
"I was just thinking of that. I want to take you to several places and take pictures there, but also to follow you with the camera. Surely you've heard more than once that the camera loves you. As for me, you come out best in unposed photos."
Like the one that I can't tell you about because it's too intimate for you to let me keep.
"Could you leave this album for me for a while? I'd like to watch it again."
"Sure," Andrzej stood up. "Dominik ..."
"Yes?"
"Good luck in your meeting."
"Thanks."