she wanted breakfast for early dinner. i cant deny her. missing you here.
I smile so wide my cheeks hurt.
This is fine, I tell myself. Perfect, even. Rafe is… what?A friend.That’s all, I can have both. Rafe is the one who talks about books, lyrics and obscure poetry. Dominik is the one who brings me sunshine smiles in photos and devours me against kitchen counters. There’s no rule against talking to both, none at all.
By evening, the thread with Rafe trails off naturally. He’s off somewhere, probably rehearsing or recording, and I sink into the couch, thinking I might actually get some work done. Then Dominik calls.
The moment I hear his voice, everything slows. It’s deep,rougherthan usual, that teasing drawl already pulling me under.
“Kochana,” he says. “I miss you.”
“I saw youlast night,” I tease, but my voice is already softer than I mean it to be.
“Never enough,” he murmurs. “I miss the way you sound, the way you…feel.”
I roll my eyes even as my pulse quickens. “You need to calm down. Right now I have charts to close and actual sleep to attempt.Maybe if you’regoodI’ll visit you this week."
“You’re such a cruel woman.” We both huff a laugh before the tension in the silence catches up. Both of us are thinking of things we’d rather be doing with each other thantalking. Finally, he speaks again, “Alright, goodnight,moja kochana.” His voice softens, like he’s kissing the words before sending them.
"Goodnightmoja sila.”
When the line clicks off, I stare at the ceiling for a moment, the warmth of him still wrapped around me. Then my phone buzzes again. Rafe.
you disappeared.
need a Polish tutor asap.
before this collaboration makes me sound like a fool.
I groan, smiling despite myself. I decide a taste of his own medicine is in order.
“Let’s start with the practical. Goodnight. Dobranoc, Rafe.”
I send it before I can overthink it, set the phone down, and start toward the bathroom. It buzzes again almost instantly. A voice message. His tone is intimate, like he’s pressed too close to the mic.
“You learned that little trick from me, Kasia.”
The sound of my own name in that voice sends heat crawling up my spine, the entire last half of my name is just an exaggerated sigh, the same way he's sung so many songs I've fallen asleep to. It’s too close, Ifeel the heat of his breath against me. I go completely still. Then throw the phone onto the bed like it might burn through my hands or infect me with some sin. It lands face down, silent now but I swear I can stillfeelhim there, whispering from the other side of the screen, close enough to touch.
Monday hits like a slap. The minute I walk into the clinic Conrad is already waving a chart at me like it’s Exhibit A in my trial. “Dr. Sawadzka!” he barks. “This is fromFriday. You missed the follow-up note.”
I bite back a sigh, smile with my teeth instead. “Good morning to you too, Dr. Conrad.” I slide the file out of his hand and head for exam room three before he can start a full sermon. My phone buzzes in my coat pocket, the only small mercy of the morning.
Rafe.
Dominik.
Both.
It starts to feel like juggling at first, like spinning plates while Conrad watches for cracks. But after an hour it’s just… rhythm. Rafe’s messages about Polish grammar, about a book of poetry he found in a Warsaw flea market years ago on tour. Dominik’s texts about Zosia spilling her cereal, about the smell of motor oil on his hands from helping Piotr on Saturday, about what he’d like to do to me if I don’t stop sending him certain selfies during clinic hours.
Nothing tips into the inappropriate with Rafe. All thedangerous real estatein my brain is already claimed by Dominik. Ever since Friday, that side of us has been cracked wide open, and now we can’t stop teasing and tormenting each other. Two worlds, two men and for a few stolen seconds in the middle of a Monday at the clinic, it almost feelseasy.After work I do all the sensible things, hydrate, stretch, work on charts. I sigh, take a long shower, pull on a clean shirt, climb into bed. When I plug in my phone, the screen lights up with a new message from Rafe.
are you still up?
I could use some help with this one line.
Sure. I can be up for a minute. What is it?
