Empty-handed...
"My husband and I had our first real date on Valentine's Day. The next year I was so excited to have a special day together, I ran around town during my lunch hour to get him gourmet chocolates, hid a massage gift certificate inside the box, and bought some lingerie. I also wrote out the mushiest, most romantic card you could imagine. Later when he came home, he hadn't even gotten a card for me and proceeded to say he didn't want any chocolate. I cried and threw the typical girly tantrum. But now that he's my husband, he knows he must give a card and gift for Valentine's Day."
-- Dee, Oregon
The Early Bird...
"One year, my husband (then just my boyfriend) decided to take me to a semi-fancy restaurant for Valentine's Day. I told him he should call well in advance to make sure we could get a table, and he assured me he would. So we got to the restaurant, and of course it was packed. My husband gave his name, but nada. What happened? When he called to make the reservation, they told him he wouldn't need one for a Monday! So we stood in the freezing lobby for almost two hours until they finally seated us. It was so late, I had one glass of wine and was ready to fall asleep by the time the soup course was served."
-- Melanie, Pennsylvania
Strapped for Cash...
"My husband (then boyfriend) decided to take me out for a really nice dinner one Valentine's Day. So we sat down at the restaurant and started to look at the menus, which turned out to be in Italian. Before we saw any prices, our waiter and his assistant showed up, and all I was thinking was 'Oh crap, this has to be out of our price range!' At the end of the meal, the waiter brought the check, and my husband paid with his debit card. The waiter then came back and asked my husband to go to the cashier with him. I was sitting at the table for probably 20 minutes before my husband returned. Evidently his debit card wouldn't work at the restaurant, but they let him leave to find an ATM -- after all, they had me as collateral!"
-- AnneMarie, Michigan
Home Alone...
"My husband (then boyfriend) was working a part-time job as a pizza-delivery guy, and he requested Valentine's Day off because we had reservations at a romantic Italian restaurant. We made these reservations six weeks in advance! So, of course, my husband's manager called him on February 14 and asked him to come into work. My husband explained that he already had plans, but the manager cut in and said, 'Well, I called the restaurant and cancelled your reservations, so that shouldn't be a problem anymore.' We were absolutely horrified! My husband didn't end up quitting the job (at that time) because he really needed the money. So that Valentine's Day he delivered pizzas while I sat home by myself."
-- Debbie, Texas
Special Delivery...
"One year, all I wanted was roses sent to work. But my (now ex) boyfriend had other plans. He sent me a fake topiary tree! The reasoning behind it? Real flowers die so quickly and cost so much, and we could keep this forever."
-- Stephanie, Kentucky
Candy Man...
"One time a boyfriend picked me up at work with candy. It was totally obvious that he knew this was what guys are supposed to do, but he didn't have a romantic bone in his body. The candy was a huge bag of Starbursts that he'd bought at the drugstore under my office."
-- Laura, New York
Animal Instict...
"On our first Valentine's Day together, I sort of pressured my husband to buy me a gift. He was late picking me up for dinner because he was at Wal-Mart buying my gift! When he finally got to my parents' house to pick me up, he said, 'Wait inside. I am fixing your gift for you.' So I waited excitedly. Finally, when I came outside, he showed me my car. It was decorated with a furry leopard-print steering-wheel cover along with matching leopard-print seat covers, rearview mirror edging, floor mats, and dice hanging from the rearview mirror! I was mortified! I have always hated leopard print, but I guess we had not gotten to that yet. It reminded me of Troy's thong bikini in the movie
Back to the Beach. But I was madly in love with this man, so I drove around that way for at least six months so I wouldn't have to tell him how much I hated it. I'm now married to him. Amazingly, he's much better at buying gifts now."
-- Sarah, Georgia
Divinely Inspired...
"A high school boyfriend whom I had been dating for about two weeks gave me a Bible. To make the gift worse, it was a 'teen study' Bible with a 'new' translation, which was completely different from what my religion used. He also added an inscription comparing his feelings for me to the stories of love in the Bible. It was completely inappropriate for two weeks of dating. The whole thing completely, totally creeped me out. I broke up with him that evening. Yes, on Valentine's Day."
-- Emily, California
Better The Second Time...
"I once got back together with an ex-boyfriend on the day before Valentine's Day. So on V-Day, he handed me a little box of chocolates -- you know, the heart-shape ones with four pieces of candy you can get from the drugstore? But it was already opened -- the plastic overwrap was removed -- and there was writing on it from another girl! He regifted the chocolate! So romantic!"
-- Sarah, Illinois
Cuddle Buddy...
"When we were dating, my husband gave me a pillowcase that had a teddy bear body with a photo of his head on top. I had the wrong reaction and laughed really loudly. The bad part was that it really was my present. He did make up for it a few years later by proposing on Valentine's Day."
-- Julie, Hawaii
One for Me, One for You...
"For two years, I asked my husband for a DVD player. Well, my lovely husband came home one Valentine's Day with a PlayStation, saying it was for me. He said that it was my DVD player since it had that capability as well. Needless to say, it wasn't my favorite gift. To this day, I tease him about that!"
-- Esther, Ontario
Decisions, Decisions...
"He bought me a rose from the gas station and a Slinky from the local drugstore. Yes, a Slinky! He said he didn't know what else to get me. Apparently it wasn't a last-minute decision either because I later found the receipt -- it was dated February 5. I laugh about it now. And as a wedding gift, my husband (yes, I married him!) put the Slinky in a shadow box along with other sentimental items from our dating years."
-- Amanda, West Virginia
No Joking Matter...
"I was so excited for our first V-Day together. I had the gifts way in advance, and when I went to meet my guy, I was disappointed he wasn't home. Thirty minutes later he showed up with a bag of chocolates with nuts in them. And I hate nuts! Then we were late to dinner and couldn't find anywhere that could take us without a long wait. After we finally finished eating dinner, we went to a comedy show and were the only couple there. Needless to say, we were the butt of every joke."
-- Rebecca, Virginia
Blast from the Past...
"I had been dropping hints that what I really wanted was a nice creme brulee set. So when Valentine's Day rolled around, we did all the romantic things: flowers, movie, and dinner at a restaurant we really couldn't afford. Then came time to exchange the gifts we had for each other. I had bought him a game he had his eye on, a subscription to his favorite magazine, and some books. Then came my turn! The box was just the right size. Imagine my surprise when I pulled out a used, or 'vintage,' Sega Genesis game system! I must have mentioned that I liked a certain game when I was a kid, and he thought it would be fun to get me a 'piece of my childhood.' I wasn't as disappointed as I was just plain shocked! His heart was in the right place, but in the end, he was the only one to ever play it! We're married now and still joke about it!"
-- Rose, Iowa
Clap On...
"On our second Valentine's Day together, my husband (then boyfriend) and I were just poor students, so we decided that we would forgo gifts. But I offered to cook him dinner, which was my present. So as I was making dinner, he came over to me, and I could see he was holding something behind his back. He told me, 'Honey, I got you a Valentine's present!' I was so shocked -- what a sweetheart! So he pulled out the present from behind his back. I could see it was wrapped in a plastic Walgreens bag and sealed with tape. My prize? The Clapper. As in 'Clap on, clap off' -- that kind of Clapper! I don't think he even saw the look of shock and horror on my face since he immediately tore it out of my hands and said, 'Look, you can clap up to three times and use it with three different appliances.' Then he immediately began going over all the features and benefits of this amazing invention. You would've thought he had invented the Clapper himself, the way he was carrying on."
-- Amelia, Delaware
by The Nest Editors
7/1/08
See more:
anniversary & date night,
Love/Sex