Chapter 33
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Dominic
With my arms crossed, I leaned against the doorframe, watching Kilian move around the kitchen with ease, doing the most ordinary tasks.
I was taken aback at how domestic he was.
On the other hand, when I saw at his apartment, it wasn’t a huge surprise.
Not only was he a genius when it came to lighting, but he also had a knack for stylish décor.
The man could clearly cook too. At least every move he made seemed purposeful, and he appeared to know exactly what he was doing as he shaped two patties.
I stepped up behind him and wrapped my arms around his body. “You’re so sexy when you cook,” I whispered in his ear, kissing his neck.
“And you’re mean,” he teased. “You come up behind me when my hands are full of meat and I can’t hug you.”
“What if I were a vegetarian?”
“No chance. I wouldn’t accept that.”
I slipped my hands under his shirt, teasing his nipples. Kilian paused and sighed. When I pressed my hips against his, and he clearly felt my arousal, he pulled away from me.
“Sorry, babe, but … we don’t want the burgers to burn.”
I snickered and grabbed a glass from the shelf. “I’m curious to see what you’re making.”
“Sit down and enjoy the show.”
The pan with heated oil was ready, and soon Kilian dropped the patties in. I marveled at how focused he was. Ten minutes later, he set a plate in front of me that resembled a meal from a restaurant.
“This looks delicious.”
“Dig in!” Kilian said, handing me a napkin.
I didn’t need to be told twice—I took a bite and melted. “Shit, this is so good. Seriously, the best burger I’ve ever had. How do you do this?”
“I learned it from my dad. I would never have moved out without getting that recipe.”
“Great decision.”
“I want to introduce you to my parents.”
I stopped chewing and glanced at Kilian. “I’ve already met your parents. We’ve crossed paths before.”
“Yeah, I know, but I want to make it official. It’s never happened before. They’ll be over the moon when I tell them I met you at a strip club and it was love at first sight.”
I stared at him, open-mouthed.
“Don’t worry,” Kilian said. “I know it wasn’t love at first sight for you.”
“Why didn’t you ever say anything?”
“I didn’t want to freak you out. It’s pretty logical.”
Every time I thought I knew Kilian, he surprised me again. And every time, I fell a little bit more in love with him.
“I love you,” I said earnestly.
He grinned. “I know.”.
“I just wanted to make sure you truly understood before you start showing me off like a trophy.”
“What’s wrong with that? Among all the lights I control, you’re the one star that shines the brightest.”
“You know how cheesy that sounds, right?”
“Yeah, but I thought you liked trash.”
“Where did you get that idea?”
“You once wore a T-shirt from the movie Planet Terror. That says it all.”
“Planet Terror is a classic,” I replied, taking another large bite of the best burger in town.
Kilian did the same, then got up and grabbed orange juice from the fridge. He mixed it with sparkling water and sat back down at the table.
“How did you know I like orange juice?” he asked, continuing to eat.
“You talked about it once with Sebastian. He said he hated pulp, but you said there was nothing better. And I saw an empty bottle in the control room.”
“You’re observant.”
“Of course.”
As we ate our burgers, we exchanged glances. I loved seeing the sparkle in his eyes. They were like obsidian gleaming in the moonlight. I had never seen anyone with eyes so dark.
“We should go to your place later,” Kilian said as he wiped his fingers with the napkin.
“To my place? Why?”
He was drinking from his glass when I realized what he was planning.
“Is it that important for you to see where I live?”
“No. I just want to make sure you don’t wake up at some ungodly hour tomorrow to grab fresh clothes before work. We’ll go to your place later, stay the night, and bring a few of your things here tomorrow.”
“And what about the stuff I brought to Engelberg?”
“That’s still at my parents’ place.”
“Kind of bossy, huh?” I grinned at him.
“You like it.”
“Yeah, in bed.”
Kilian reached for my hand in his. “I’d never boss you around. You’ve got too stubborn a head for that. And I love it too much to want to change it.”
“You can’t wait to see my room,” I teased, rubbing my thumb over the back of his hand. “It’s fine. I’ve got nothing to hide. Honestly, I’m pretty boring.”
“I doubt that. I want to see the Rolling Stones posters and the vinyl records.”
“How do you know about that?” I gasped, feigning shock.
“I know certain things.” He winked at me.
Laughter erupted between us.
“You’re going to be disappointed when you see my room.”
“Why?”
“No Rolling Stones posters, no vinyl records. I’m not the type to collect stuff.”
“You can’t sleep between four white walls.”
“Nope.”
“So, what’s there to discover in your room?”
“Clothes. Books. A Scarface movie poster.”
“You’re into Al Pacino?”
“He’s a great actor.”
“And books? What do you read?”
“Mostly classics. Dramas—plays. I also like historical novels or the occasional crime novel.”
“A man with books. Very sexy.”
“I only saw screenplays lying around here. Don’t you read anything else?”
“Not much. I have enough to do with the screenplays.”
We sat in silence for a while. I enjoyed his touch, how he gently caressed my hand and thoughtfully gazed at it. Eventually, our eyes met, and I smiled at him with contentment.
It just couldn’t be helped. The moment I saw Kilian’s face, it sparked feelings of happiness in me, and I wanted to kiss him.
“Can I ask you something?”
I didn’t like the serious tone in Kilian’s voice, but I nodded.
“Back then, at Sebastian’s bachelor party, when we first ran into each other … what was with the full beard? I mean, three days later, you showed up at the theater with a three-day stubble and landed the role of Hamlet.”
“I grew it out after I decided to play the monk. But then Hamlet came up. When Theo told me after the callback that he wanted to see me as Hamlet, but made a face at my beard, I knew it had to go. Theo knew I’d show up clean-shaven for the rehearsal, and I was just glad my chin stopped itching.”
“I like you with a beard,” Kilian said with a mischievous grin. “But what I like most about you is that you’ve given up on the celibacy thing.”
“That’s probably thanks to you.”
“Yeah, and I’m still waiting for a thank you.”
I leaned back with a content smile. “The three months will be up on Sunday.”
“Do you want to celebrate? I could take you to Red, one of the playrooms. There are seven others we could try.”
“I don’t work there anymore.”
“What?” Kilian stared at me with wide eyes. “Did they fire you? I hope it’s not my fault.”
“No, I quit.”
“Why?”
I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. “Are you disappointed?”
“Of course!” he exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. “What do you think? I had so many plans with you!”
“I want to focus more on acting.”
Kilian frowned. Before he could say anything, I rested my forearms on the table. “Theo gave me the role of Eisenring in Biedermann and the Arsonists.”
It was a delight to watch the surprise in Kilian’s face transform into joy. “You’re going to play an arsonist?” he exclaimed, excited. “Congratulations! And Eisenring! He’s cool! Perfect for you. Just like Hamlet.”
“Did you know about the new play?”
“Yeah, the script is over there on the chair. Theo told me to take my time thinking about the lighting. I didn’t know he was already looking for actors.”
“There hasn’t been an audition yet. He came to me, handed me the script, and offered me the role. Two days later, I performed a scene.”
“I’m really happy for you. I’m glad so many good things have happened to you in the past two weeks.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I was afraid I’d dragged you into my mess. Sometimes that happens.”
Not wanting to dwell on that topic any longer, Kilian got up and cleared the dishes. That seemed to be his strategy for avoiding certain subjects.
“Can I ask you something?”
Kilian stiffened, but then he turned to me and smiled. “Guess I owe you that.”
I immediately got up and walked over to him. “You don’t owe me anything,” I said, placing my hand on his cheek. “You were in the clinic for two weeks. How did it go there?”
Kilian lowered his gaze. “I really thought I had everything under control,” he replied with a shrug.
“But apparently, I didn’t anymore.” He paused and played with the hem of my T-shirt.
“After the high came the absolute darkness. The end. But my doctor was optimistic—and she was right in the end. It took a while for the medication to kick in.”
“And now? What happens next?”
“I guess I have no choice but to go to check-ups every now and then. It’ll take a while to get the dosage right.”
“It’s good to hear you’re doing well,” I said, drawing him near me.
“I didn’t die,” he murmured against my neck. “That’s normal for me.”
Reluctantly, I let him go. “I don’t mind your highs, but I don’t like it when you’re feeling bad.”
Kilian smiled.
“What?” I asked, suspicious.
“You’ll come to appreciate my depressive phases, because then you’ll at least know where I am.”
“As long as you pick up when I call …”
“Forget it!” He laughed loudly. “It’s not usual for me to stay in Switzerland. I’ve had much crazier trips.”
“Do I want to know where?”
I grabbed a towel and helped him dry the dishes.
“Well … once, I rode my motorcycle to Norway because I wanted to see the Laerdal Tunnel. The ride took almost twenty-four hours, but it wasn’t a problem for me because I was completely high. I drove almost the whole way without stopping.”
“What’s so special about the Laerdal Tunnel?”
“Oh … one day I’ll show you,” he said dreamily.
“It’s the longest tunnel in the world. Inside, there are three halls lit with blue light.
I rode to the center of the tunnel and have no idea how long I stayed there.
It felt like an eternity. It was … like being on drugs.
Beautiful. Well … until the descent started.
It’s never nice coming down. I woke up in a hospital, unable to make the return trip on my own. ”
“How did you get home?”
“With my dad. He came by plane, and we rode back home on the motorcycle together.”
“That was nice of him.”
Kilian dried his wet hands with the towel. “Just as nice as when you picked me up in Engelberg.”
I leaned back against the kitchen counter, dragged Kilian between my legs, and kissed him. “I’d do that for you anytime.”
He kissed me back, sliding his hand to my neck to make sure I didn’t break the kiss.
“Let’s stop for some ice cream on the way to your place. I know a place that makes their own caramel-vanilla ice cream.”
“That’s a great idea,” I replied, stealing another kiss. “Perfect, even.”
The End