Valentine’s Day is just around the corner! And unless you’re still with the first person you ever kissed and live in a land of unicorns and rainbows, chances are you’ve had a bad date, a bad gift, or a bad breakup. But how many of us have had one of those disasters land right on Valentine’s Day?
As someone who’s spent years working as a server and bartender, I’ve seen some truly cursed dates on Valentine’s Day. I’ve watched someone dump their boyfriend on the spot for showing up late and without flowers. I’ve had to clean the accessible bathroom after a couple had obnoxious sex on the vanity sink.
And once, a man brought one Valentine’s date in at 5 p.m., took her home, then came back to the same restaurant with a different date at 8 p.m. Valentine’s Day is not for the weak.
And those are just the things I witnessed. Now imagine being the person actually living through those moments. Those are the stories I want to hear. So please, tell me… What’s your worst Valentine’s Day experience?
Did your date call you by their ex’s name across the table during a candlelit dinner? Did you get dumped by your long-term partner the morning of Valentine’s Day so they wouldn’t have to commit to the whole thing? Did you splurge on a thoughtful, expensive gift only to get a card in return?
Or did your mom send an over-the-top bouquet to your workplace with a note that read, “Hopefully this time next year, you won’t be single, but for now, I will be your Valentine,” while everyone in the office laughed? Okay, that last one would be truly horrific — but after watching The Office, I have a pretty twisted idea of what workplace Valentine’s Days can look like.
No matter your story, I want to hear it. So if you’re brave, drop it in the comments. But if you’d prefer some privacy (or are still therapeutically working through it), that’s exactly what the super-easy anonymous form is for.