Photographer and Actor

"I'm sorry" Dominik jumped to his feet. "Nothing happened to you?"

"Nothing," Andrzej Nowicki replied, standing up and instinctively brushing off his pants. He checked the equipment right away. "The camera is intact too."

"That's good. I wouldn't want it damaged. You seem to like it."

"Yes. It's not the newest, but it serves me well. I bought it while still in college. Do you want to try?"

"What? Take a picture?"

"Try it, it's easy." He removed the strap from his neck and handed the equipment to Dominik.

Śliwiński turned it in his hands, examining it from all sides. Finally, he put it to his eye and aimed the lens at Andrzej.

"The world looks different in this way," he said with a hint of surprise in his voice. "The field of view is limited, but somehow focused."

He took a picture of Andrzej.

"Hey, I meant rather still life, not me" Nowicki seemed a bit uncomfortable.

"Hm, I'd like to keep this photo. Maybe the sharpness is not the best, but it's my first in years. Can you do this for me? Can you print them?" Dominik returned the camera to the owner.

"Are you sure you don't want to do another? I am not a photogenic object."

"I photographed what rolled under the lens," he replied emphatically. "I am an artist of an art other than photography."

No, Andrzej commented in his mind, you yourself are an art.

"I am curious how you got this photo ", Nowicki announced.

"If you want," Dominik's voice was tentative and shy "you can take pictures of me whenever you want. Just… not when I'm in the shower."

"You prefer baths anyway. Are you saying that I can photograph you during them?"

"The tub is full of foam, so you won't capture anything interesting anyway."

A picture of Eros emerging from the same froth as Aphrodite flashed into Andrzej's mind. He might not have seen much, but such a scene surely excited the imagination.

Nowicki cleared his throat to clear his clenched throat.

"Let's make the bedroom and bathroom areas free from taking pictures," he suggested.

"Agreed."

But is it really a good idea to exclude the bedroom as well? Dominik, immersed in bedding, presented himself in such a way that any producer of pillows, quilts, beds and bedding would hire him for advertising.

"You haven't told me yet how your last meeting at the editorial office went" the young actor noticed.

"Because there is nothing to talk about. Nobody was surprised, nobody tried to stop me. Everyone knew it was a matter of time."

"So what now? Private studio?"

"Studio not yet. For now, I will want to send out a few works to advertising agencies."

"And what kind of photos do you send there? Portraits? Still life?"

"Various, although mainly portraits and artistic compositions. Although I haven't worked with too many models lately."

Dominik looked at him shyly.

"You think I could help you with this?"

"What do you mean?"

"You are a good photographer, I really think so. You could do a professional session for me. Remember, I offered you this once."

"Yes" Andrzej perfectly remembered that day and how everything had become complicated since then.

"There are moments in my life and photos that I would like to have for myself as a reminder that I once existed as a human," Dominik continued, "but I cannot forget that my job is to pretend. It's a bit strange to have two faces ..."

"Not at all," said Andrzej. They talked about it before. "Being a personal photographer of Dominik Śliwiński will look great in my resume."

"So let's make it official. You know, a private photographer will sell well for me, and it will be a good explanation for why we live together."

Is he worried about his reputation or ... about mine?

"Why not?" Andrzej agreed. ��You will show me your old portfolio and we will discuss in what style you would like to have new photos. You will give your suggestions, I will give mine, and together we will work on something new and interesting. So what do you think about this?"

"I think that we should start right away!"

***

It was strange to look at the photos of Dominik from a few years ago, a charming boy who in some photos appeared like the purest angel, while in others he had the confident smile of a naughty boy. However, they all had one thing in common - a penetrating gaze that pierced the very center of the soul, making it uneasy. Although clearly posed, the pictures showed the truth. The lens loved Dominik, who in front of the lens turned into even the most extreme personalities.

Taking pictures of Śliwiński was not an challenge. Any idiot with a camera in his hand could make a masterpiece, because the object was so graceful that it was impossible to spoil the work with a bad technique.

"How should I behave on a date?" Dominik asked suddenly. Nothing foreshadowed this question, the actor simply looked at the photos in Andrzej's company.

"Naturally" Nowicki answered without taking his eyes off him. "Be yourself and everything will work fine."

"I don't want to be myself," he replied. "I don't want strangers to know the real me."

"Hey, they're not all bad."

"But they all pretend and want to gain an advantage over the others" Dominik replied simply.

"Well, not all ..." Andrzej Nowicki felt a bit offended by the statement of the young actor, although he knew perfectly well that he himself did not have a clear conscience.

"Should I be charming or rather rude?" Dominik pushed in front of Andrzej two photos corresponding to the verbal description. "How about conservative?" he shifted the third between them.

He is preparing for this date as for a role, Nowicki thought with a hint of bitterness.

"None of the above and all of them together. Don't take it as a film role. Get carried away by the moment. A date has a certain scenario, but you can't predict what the other person will say at any given moment. You'll have to improvise a lot. You are always charming, you are conservative on every occasion when you are in a company other than mine. As for the bad boy, forgive me, but I can't imagine you like that."

Śliwiński looked discouraged.

"Being yourself does not mean revealing yourself completely to others" Nowicki added hesitantly. "The point is not to be fake."

"I see," Dominik Śliwiński admitted, a little hesitantly.

"Before every first date with a new person, you get nervous. Eventually, they may not fit together at all."

"I know she doesn't suit me" the young actor announced honestly.

"I'm not looking for a girlfriend for you," Andrzej lied. A boy really should forget his gay relationship with his ex-manager and try with a woman. "You need a party companion, and she knows it. Marta has a nice appearance, is intelligent and has an interesting personality. Believe me, she's not counting on an affair either. That doesn't mean you can't have a good time."

"Right," Dominik admitted without conviction.

But it bothers him, thought Andrzej, the whole situation. Does he worry because he has to meet strangers or go to a party? Or maybe he is so irritated that he is going to meet a woman?