WHEN YOU LOVE

PINNED UP

Lee left the studio and went home. Even if Dylan's situation preoccupied him, he still had to respect his engagements. His son didn't go to school for a week after he advised Becky. Boycotted by his former friends, the teen didn't dare to go. It took Lee time to convince Dylan that some other gossip would trend, and people would forget him.

As expected, Dylan was old news when all discovered Ryan's Dibbs got one of Carly's friends pregnant. People said Dibbs cried like a newborn and kept yelling it's not mine while Tracy Hull proudly promoted her pregnancy with her baby on board tees.

Things were almost back to normal, and Lee felt a little less stressed. Okay, things were still shaky between Dylan and Sana. Camille attended the therapy group session with Lee and Dylan, which always began and ended with silence as none spoke. Some would say it was a waste of money and time, but Lee held on to the idea that one would break and speak out. The year felt like a decade for the man who prayed his endeavors were the last.

He stopped to buy coffee and was about to get into the car when the Trivision advert across the street caught his eye. The man stood waiting for the panels to switch back to the advert that caught his attention on the billboard. There he saw Sana in her one-piece swimsuit and Wellingtons playing lovey-dovey with an aftershave model young enough to be his son. The man's jaw dropped open, just like Sana's, who discovered herself in the digital motion ads on the tube escalators, double-decker buses, and in the suggested ads by the cookies, she had when she entered a website.

The woman's phone rang, "hello."

"Sana, I told you. You're a star."

"Hollie, this is no joke. I'm everywhere, and people are looking at me funny."

"It's notoriety, babe; enjoy."

"Enjoy, you say. The whole of London is looking at my stomach rolls right now. Gosh, I'm huge."

"You're not huge, and you're curvilicious! You could seriously get hired as a plus-size model," Hollie said with all the enthusiasm in stock.

"Hollie, are you crazy?"

Sana wore a hot pink body con dress and a cropped jean jacket, not to change a dress code that worked. All one could see was her wholesome booty miles around; what usually didn't bother her became a source of embarrassment.

The women continued to talk until Sana arrived home. The conversation allowed Sana to avoid the curious stares.

"Hollie, I can't go on like this. You can't imagine how many people looked at me on the tube.

"I can," Lee said from the sofa, where he lied like a war veteran waiting to give the last instructions to his will.

"Sorry, Hollie, I've got to go. Talk to you later."

"Lee," Sana rushed to his side, "are you okay? Did you have another faintness incident?"

"Yeah, I had one. I almost had a heart attack when I saw you on the billboard."

Sana lowered her head in defeat," I told you I took a few pics for work."

"A few pics, you look like you're running for prime minister and that your campaign manager put out your best arguments."

"I swear, Lee, I didn't know they would use my photos more than the others. Are they that awful?"

Lee sat up, "are you crazy? You are drop-dead gorgeous, and now the whole of London knows it. I swear they better be paying you royally."

"Oh, Lee, you know how the company thrives on little savings."

"What they ain't paying you? Sana, that's exploitation. Your face and body will sell off their wellies for the season, and they're not paying you. Did they even mention you'd be everywhere?"