The Golden Child and The Ugly Duck

A week had passed since that sickening incident … and Elora could still feel the intoxicating touch, which left a trace of disgust, from the mysterious man's lips. Yes, Elora hates the fact that she hasn't gotten over it yet. As well as the fact that what he was done had awakened a trauma. Something horrible that Elora had been trying to bury deeply in recent years.

Elora exhaled as she looked at the pile of work on her desk. Her job as Creative Director at an advertising company never gave Elora time to just breathe and enjoy life. But her job can be fun sometimes … so it doesn’t really matter.

Dreamcatcher, the name of the company where Elora worked, was at its prime. This advertising agency is well-known for giving out unconventional advertising concepts to their clients. Every advertisement that is produced always gone viral among the Kiwis, the name for the New Zealand people, even in neighboring countries.

And the person behind it all is Elora. Yes, it's teamwork, but Elora is the biggest contributor to ideas in every advertising concept offered to clients.

Elora never fails to satisfy clients with crazy ideas about how to advertise a product according to consumer desires. This made Elora the golden child in the office. And because she is the golden child, her personal life is in the spotlight too. Including the matter of phobia to touch or get an intense gaze from men.

But that's not the only thing that makes Elora famous. She is also known for the duality of her appearance. When meeting prospective clients, Elora will transform into a goddess, with feminine and fashionable clothes, perfect makeup, and silk hair that is always fragrant and neat, and she never forgets to wear perfume.

However, if she is in the mode of working on a project, or after getting a client and Elora has to think hard to actualize the crazy concept she offers, Elora will turn into an ugly duckling.

Not the kind of less sociable duck, who wear thick-lensed glasses, have their hair tied back and walk their head down as if regretting their existence in the world. Elora will become a duck who is ignorant of herself and the views of other people around her.

And apparently, Elora’s bad duck version seems to be the worst this time.

Elora was sitting behind her enormous desk, in a private study that had the words "Creative Director" printed in bold white on the frosted glass door, when her assistant, a young man named Javier came in carrying a file.

Javier is the only opposite sex who can be close around Elora, without Elora feeling uncomfortable or anxious. Elora folded her arms across her chest when she saw Javier wrinkled his nose as he looked at Elora with pity.

"Say it," growled Elora, her eyes defiant.

"You stink," said Javier. His mouth doesn't have any sensors, and Elora doesn't know why she likes this type of person. He is what he is. Maybe if Javier is straight, Elora will propose to him.

"Isn't it a week too long not to shower?" Actually, Javier's question was a joke, but Elora took it seriously.

"It looks like I'm going to take a shower this afternoon," muttered Elora, who returned to the laptop screen to check the ad video that had gone through the editing process.

Javier almost dropped the file. "You … haven't showered for a week?"

Elora stretched her fingers and started counting. "The night after coming home from the club, I took a shower. So, six days."

"Germs ... skin diseases ... fleas ... disgusting."

"Thank you." Elora nodded, considering the list of consequences of not showering that Javier said just now as a compliment.

"So, what are you carrying?" Elora pointed to the file Javier now placed on the table.

"This is the result of the meeting about the underwear advertisement that we will be working on." Javier passed the file over Elora's laptop, and Elora accepted it.

“Last time we had a hard time finding a male model that fits the advertising concept right? Is there a model already?"

"Yes, thank God we got it. I admit your idea was never sane. But this one … it’s just too wild. Luckily a model willing to do it." Javier breathed a sigh of relief as if he had passed a very tough life test.

Elora opened the folder and started rereading the details of the concept and anything else that was needed. "But our client agrees with my idea. So it doesn't matter," She said.

Elora paused when she saw a photo of the model they were going to hire. She blinked several times. It wasn't that the male model was wearing only underwear, which exposed his perfectly athletic body. Not because of the handsome and fierce face, with the thick eyebrows and sharp eyes. But because … Elora seemed to have seen him. She does not know where. Maybe in an ad that is shown on television.

"When will we shoot this ad?" Elora asked after closing the file folder and putting it on the table.

"This afternoon. Actually ... in one hour."

"Okay. Call me when it's time."

Javier opened his mouth, he looked doubtful. "You're ... not getting ready?"

"Hm? Get ready for what?"

"That ... you know that now you look pathetic?"

Elora lowered her head to see the clothes she was wearing. Crumpled black t-shirt combined with a plaid flannel shirt. Ripped jeans and a pair of worn brown sneakers. Elora's hair, which is black and the ends are given a pink highlight, is tied in a ponytail. Her face was plain without makeup, Elora didn't even put on lip balm.

"There is something wrong?" Elora tilted her head. Not taking a shower for six days wasn't a problem for her. Yes, just for her. For everyone else, of course, this is a big problem. "We have no schedule to meet clients or prospective clients this week, right? Just executing a few ad projects?”

“Yes … but we're going to meet a model, El. The model is someone from outside the office. You can ruin the company's image if you appear looking like this.”

Elora opened her desk drawer roughly and grabbed a bottle of perfume that was only a quarter in content. She sprayed it randomly to several parts of her body. "There you go! Now I smell good."

"El—"

“I'm not going anywhere near the model, okay? If all goes well I'll be going. I entrust the implementation to you."

Javier exhaled, he sounded annoyed and tired. "In one hour, studio three."

*

Elora took the time to buy a cup of coffee in the cafeteria, before heading to studio three which is located one floor below her room. Elora knew that every people she passed by, greeted Elora half-heartedly while shrinking their nostrils. They certainly knew that when Elora like this, it means that she has a big project to do.

Elora pressed the elevator button and waited for the elevator to slide down. When the elevator doors opened, Elora grunted happily that everyone in there had left, leaving Elora alone to go upstairs.

Elora turned around after reaching the corner of the elevator and caught her breath.

A man turned out to come in with her.

He's … that model, right?

*