37 Just Say It!

The shooting of the day ended exceptionally quickly and everyone knew that the reason was the sharp exchange between Radosz and Różycki. The producer and director clashed in public to create an unprecedented and difficult situation for all. It is true that the producer apologized and admitted that the misunderstanding was due to him, but everyone saw that Różycki did not have such unlimited power and influence as he wanted everyone to believe.

Therefore, this discussion undermined the director's authority, and everyone was aware of it, including Różycki himself. It is true that he saved his face, but as long as Radosz stays on the set, the director's power will be very much endangered. Yet everyone knows a ship cannot have two captains.

Rafał Brylski, however, did not care about this situation at all. In fact, not being a professional actor, he knew neither the manners on the set nor the hierarchy of importance. He was supposed to listen to the director and the director was clearly supposed to listen to the producer, so there was no problem for Brylski here.

The kiss scene was supposed to be gentle in tone and basically innocent. After earlier unsuccessful attempts, right after the break, Rafał focused and said that he would not cause any more repetitions. In fact, everything went perfectly for him. It was his friend who played Paweł's best friend who had a problem and because of him they had to do a few repetitions. Finally, the director waved his hand and announced the end of shooting for the day. Brylski noticed that Różycki was escorting Jakub Wolak to the side. The actor was probably scolded then, but Rafał didn't care about it. After his own experiences today, he didn't have the strength to worry about others.

Only Anita bothered him a little. The girl was clearly worried about something. Brylski did not ask what, he guessed that everything was because of him. Anita was just worried about his emotional state.

Rafał, however, felt well. He felt really good. It's true that it was bad on set today, but he overcame his weakness, gathered all his energy and played his stage flawlessly. For him it was a huge victory over himself and a reason to celebrate, only… he had nobody to celebrate with.

Brylski took a shower, changed his clothes and seeing that the early evening once again encouraged people to come out into the fresh air with a cool wind, he went out to the balcony and leaned through it, inhaling the evening freshness.

“Watch out or you'll fall out ...”

Rafał actually twitched in surprise and made a nervous move, but the railing was high and he did not lean out that much, so he was completely safe.

"You scared me," he complained to Damian, whose brown eyes examined him anxiously to make sure he was okay. “What are you standing on the balcony? You have no friends to spend time with?” He asked.

“I could ask you the same thing.”

Rafał opened his mouth, then closed it, but finally took a deep breath and spoke quite vigorously.

“Since we are both in the same situation, why not spend time together? How about the next walk? I saw several pubs over there. We could drop by a glass of beer.”

“Aren't you afraid of the rain? For today, violent storms were forecast.”

“Oh, please!” Rafał smirked “I will not be in the hotel just because it may rain. I'm not made of sugar.”

In response, Radosz smiled happily.

“What is right, is right. I don't want to stay in a hotel all the time either.”

“Great!” Rafał rejoiced, feeling how joy fills his heart and virtually every other part of his body as well. “I'm actually ready.”

“Me too…”

They smiled to each other and at the same time disappeared into their rooms.

***

The summer that came so suddenly, a few weeks earlier than it should, made the evenings very warm and the air so hot and dry that it resembled desert countries. There were storms around Europe, but none has yet come over this small town in Poland, where the scenes for the new series were shot.

Rafał liked summer. He preferred it hundreds of times more to winter. But it was the spring he loved the most, which that year, to his sadness, was so unbearably short. Summer was really ok, at least in summer Rafał never had to shiver with cold.

But not only the cold could make you shiver. Today, on the set, Brylski felt them for a completely different reason.

Sometimes the cold in the heart is more powerful than that which winter brings in nature.

“Are you okay?” asked Damian Radosz thoughtfully as he and Rafał headed towards the street with pubs. "I probably shouldn't have asked, but you didn't look well on set today. Różycki was too sharp for you.”

Damian Radosz sounded as if he really cared about Rafał's good - not on the investment that could potentially bring him millions, and on himself, as a human being. Brylski did not know what was true, but he sincerely, though little hope, was the latter.

Today's situation on the set shocked Rafał a lot. He pretended that it was not so, that everything was fine, he summoned a sweet smile on his lips, because he did not want anyone, even Anita, to show that he was suffering, and yet Damian asked about his well-being. I don't think he had figured out his lies...

"It's just his style," Brylski shrugged, still pretending that everything was fine. “I do not care about it.”

“But on the set ...”

“It's not his fault” Rafał replied firmly. “It's me…”

At this point, Rafał stopped. For some reason he felt the urge to tell Damian everything, tell him the whole truth, but he couldn't dare. Anita could be right and Radosz had no pure intentions towards him. If he finds out the truth, he can fire Rafał.

Brylski looked away pretending to be interested in clouds in the sky, clouds that suggested that there might be rain.

“You?” Damian was surprised. His voice, however, was soft, caring. “How can it be your fault that Różycki treated you this way? I was on set while filming that scene, forgot?”

This time, Rafał pretended that he was interested in the advertisement hanging on the fence.

Rafał really wanted to tell Damian everything, but he was afraid not only for his job. He was even more afraid of his disdainful laugh.

Today's events, however, lingered in his heart more than he expected, and Brylski really needed to tell someone about his fear and his pain. He could not tell Anita this, because her overprotection would have robbed him of what he had remnant of himself and of his dignity as a man. Rafał really did not want to be under her care for the rest of his life, he wanted to stand on his own feet, even if he was to stumble and fall over. But isn't this how people learn to walk?

‘Take a chance,’ said a voice in his head. ‘Take a chance! All you lose is your job and… and maybe a chance to make a friend, but if he laughs at you, if he turns against you, do you want someone like that for a friend? Tell him now because later it will be even harder for you and you will be forced to live a lie again. Just take a risk and trust the man who saved your life.’

If Rafał is afraid to trust the man who saved his life, will he dare to trust anyone else?

Today's situation on the set, his own fault and the way Różycki treated him... Rafał had a hard time today.

"You see, I'm not good at this type of scene," he confessed finally dropping his eyes. “Because I... You see... I can't kiss a woman…”