Chapter 217 - 20 Dominik's Responsibility

The second episode of Dominik's Kitchen had even more viewers than the first. The news about how charming Dominik Śliwiński is as a cook spread like wildfire across the country and everyone wanted to see his true charm. Of course, everyone who was interested in something like this.

Dominik read comments on the Dominik's Kitchen social profile. He did not have his own. A man who is afraid of people and hides from them will not set up a page where he would share his photos and thoughts. For him, the lack of such a profile was a form of self-defense.

Dominik's Kitchen, however, was great and most of the comments came from enthusiastic fans of the young generation who shared their joy that they are learning to cook.

Reading their confessions, Śliwiński felt joy, pride and pain at the same time. This program was a lot of fun for him, and its aim was precisely to show young people that cooking not only doesn't have to be difficult, but can be fun. The goal seemed to be achieved.

"You do not look like someone who enjoys new success" Paulina Kowalczyk, Andrzej's would-be wife, sat down at the table where Dominik was sitting. It was a family restaurant that she took over when her father's health deteriorated. Paulina was an exceptionally sensible and brave woman who was not afraid to raise her daughter alone and run a business at the same time. In her free time, she advised Dominik and Andrzej on matters of life and matters of the heart.

"Because I'm not enjoying him," Dominik announced grimly. Paulina was for him like a very wise older sister.

"You know, Martynka baked your cake with her grandmother right after the program," said Paulina. "They were both delighted. They had a lot of fun baking and then eating. To think that before the girl watched your program, she had no interest in the kitchen at all!"

Dominik smiled and it was meant to be a warm and sincere smile, but somehow it came out pale and sad.

"What's happening?" Paulina asked matter-of-factly. "Trouble with Andrzej? Maybe you want us to go to my small office?"

An office or canteen, it was a small room equipped with a sofa on which you could lie down if necessary, a chair and a desk where you could work. It was so crowded that it was hard to walk through, but the place had a nice feeling of privacy when needed.

Dominik looked around the room without interest. Several of the guests looked curiously at him, but no one was invading his privacy. Perhaps some paparazzi were lurking nearby, but Śliwiński was no longer afraid of them. He got rid of this paranoia sown in him by Marczak.

"No, it's okay here," he announced. Even if someone overheard them, the young actor had absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. "Everything is fine between me and Andrzej. I am thinking about professional matters, but talking to you has already helped me make my decision."

"Really?" Paulina was surprised. "I didn't really say anything."

"You said enough. I am glad that Martynka and her grandmother had a good time thanks to me."

This time Dominik smiled warmer.

When, after talking to Marek, Dominik was so upset and met Andrzej in the parking lot, he could have already guessed that Nowicki would want to talk to Marczak. However, the actor guessed it only after Andrzej left the house, when his emotions subsided. For a moment he considered calling him and trying to stop him, but decided he had no right to do so.

Dominik trusted Andrzej with all his heart and knew that nothing intimate would happen between him and Marek. For some reason, he also trusted Marczak. Earlier, Marek scared him properly, but when the greatest emotions passed, Śliwiński realized that Marczak had many opportunities to use Andrzej and never did. If Marek liked someone, he wouldn't be able to intentionally hurt him. Back then, in Dominik's salon, it was an emotional act, a one-time incident.

Of course, the young actor did not feel well with the thought that his current partner had gone to discuss his affairs with Dominik's ex-partner, but Andrzej was such that he could not stand still and had to act in defense of his beloved. It was his pride, it was his style. Dominik couldn't take it from him. After all, Andrzej was not acting in bad faith. This was what made Andrzej Andrzej and that is what Dominik loved him for.

His white knight in shining armor.

Andrzej was not perfect, he had quite a few flaws, but also some really wonderful advantages, one of them was that he really loved Dominik and always acted with only Śliwiński's good in mind.

Nowicki asked the actor not to react recklessly regarding Dominik's Kitchen. Although full of anger, wounded Śliwiński really wanted to call Franciszek Baczyński immediately and terminate his contract, now he was glad that he allowed himself to be persuaded to delay in action.

Today Dominik, thanks to a conversation with Paulina, realized that although he is the star of Dominik's Kitchen, although the program is entitled with his name, this program does not belong to him. It also does not belong to Baczyński or Marczak. Dominik's Kitchen belongs to the audience.

Perhaps many actors play in movies purely for money and fame, but Dominik did it because he was happy that he could bring people a positive experience. Viewers liked to watch him not because he was famous, but because they felt some pleasure about it.

Wasn't it the same with Dominik's Kitchen?

No, not the same, because with this program Śliwiński's responsibility towards viewers was greater. He was not an imaginary character here, but himself, Dominik Śliwiński, and as Dominik Śliwiński, when he started recording Dominik's Kitchens, he made the viewers a promise - a promise that he would meet them once a week in the kitchen, where he would teach them simple recipes that they would be able to try it at home.

It was a promise of spending time together, joking together, having fun and learning. People, encouraged by this promise, showed him their trust and gratitude in the form of double-digit viewership. If he now breaks this promise for purely private reasons, he will disappoint tens, perhaps hundreds of thousands of viewers, some of whom are perhaps as young as Martynka.

Is this how a responsible young man should behave? If Dominik broke the contract because of Marek, he would have let his private animosities outweigh his duty. He would have behaved not only unprofessionally, but even like a spoiled brat.

And Dominik did not want to be such a man.

Lots of people really enjoyed watching his show. Dominik read the comments where the girls said that it was the first time they dared to bake something, or that they were baking with their best friend. Today, the young actor found out that even grandmother and granddaughter had a great time together thanks to his program. If he had resigned from Dominik's Kitchen, if he had terminated this contract, he would have taken something valuable from them.

Marek Marczak was not the best man. Too often he trampled on the feelings of others. Maybe he wasn't doing it on purpose, maybe he was just a man with very low, maybe even zero emotional intelligence, but he knew show business and knew what would sell, what people would like. Dominik's Kitchen was just something that people could love and loved. Marek's name did not appear on any document related to Dominik's Kitchen, so perhaps this program will survive the confusion into which Marczak fell.

Maybe it will survive, maybe not. But if it does fall, it will not be Śliwiński's fault.

Nevertheless, Marek must be punished for his crimes and for all trampled hearts.

He must be punished for his past wrongdoing and held back so that the situation like with Adrian will never happen again. 

Dominik, smiling, because his heart became clear and strong with conviction, said goodbye to Paulina and left her restaurant. It was a beautiful sunny day, and maybe a little too hot.

The golden rays of the sun gave him extra courage.

Śliwiński took a business card from his pocket.

Miss Shmidt may have had her own private reasons to bring Marek to justice, but Dominik had his own.