The day my cough got me in trouble

I tend to get a lingering cough after I've been sick, ranging from one week to...one month. No joke. It's normal for me. Sometimes I forget the last time I was cough-free (I have been checked, multiple times, but it's just an annoying cough). Now it's never caused any problems—except for the occasional embarrassing coughing fit followed by tears on the subway or lack of sleep. But I got sent home from work last Wednesday because, get this, my cough was bothering an editor.

Before Wednesday I had no voice. For four days. Four full days leaves a talkative person going crazy. I worked at VS all day Saturday and forced some squeaky sounds while communicating to customers in the fitting room. Some gave me weird looks. It hurt to talk by the end of the day.

A bag of cough drops and a box of tea later, I finally had my voice back. I was feeling 90% better come Wednesday, but that was the day I was told to go home and rest and see a doctor. A doctor? I had a stinking cold. This was at 11 am. Do you think I went home to sleep? No, I went shopping.

It was Wednesday, it was sunny, I was feeling better, and I had a whole day in the city. I wandered to Zara and happily walked around the crowd-free shop and got a fitting room immediately (the lines can be 20 deep in the afternoon/evening/weekends). There was a small sale section left which made me extremely happy. I left with a couple bargains and invested in a nice black skirt. Then I passed Henri Bendel, a New York store that I've never been in, but is a Limited Brands company....so I get my VS discount store.

It was the most gorgeous store ever. There's handbags and jewelry. Gorgeous gold, sparkly, spiky, trendy jewelry. Large, leather, colorful totes. Then behind the sparkles laid prestigious makeup bars--full of makeup artists just waiting for me. I had my face contoured and finished with a bright orange lip at NARS. I tried a luxurious cream on my hands. Then headed upstairs to discover more handbags and jewelry—this time by other designers (downstairs hosted Henri Bendel's line). There was Rebecca Minkoff. Zac Posen. Jewelry that was $600. I fell in love with a Zac Posen bag that was still out of my reach, even with my discount. But I treated myself to a midi ring and NARS multiple in Copacabana—a must for any beauty junkie. It highlights the cheekbones perfectly and goes on subtly. I transcribed interviews from backstage at NYFW and Copacabana is one product I frequently hear about.

I got to Trader Joe's around 2 p.m. and the lines were still long. But easy to manage—I always shop from the line.

I was pissed I got sent home. Who can send me home because of my cough? But I got a day to myself. As requested, I had a doctor's appointment the next day and surprise, there was nothing wrong with me.

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