IT’S Valentine’s weekend, cupid is flying high and many love birds are planning, or have already planned special surprises, gifts and even dates for their significant others.

In keeping with the festival of love, we decided to ‘play fass’ and ask a few persons to share their fondest and most cringe-worthy dating experiences.

Here are some testimonies that were dropped in our bag.

‘Three is a crowd’ – Brian, East Coast Demerara
Why do some women bring their friends on dates? I had several experiences where I asked a girl out and she asked me if she could bring a friend.

The worst of all was when I asked this girl on a date—I really liked her—and she brought her friend along.

At first, I didn’t mind because the girl I was interested in had shared with me that she had bad past experiences where she felt unsafe on dates.

My date’s friend, however, was not the inconspicuous ‘third wheel’. She ordered the most expensive dish on the menu and then instructed me that if I wanted to date her friend, I would have to treat both of them!

I was so upset with the situation that I didn’t bother ordering anything for myself. When the bill finally came, I barely had enough money to pay. Never again!

‘A birthday dinner to remember’ – Tamica, West Coast Demerara
My best dating experience was for one of my birthday celebrations. I’m big on birthdays, but I prefer simple but special ways of celebrating.

During the year in question, my birthday was fast approaching and I was dealing with a lot of things personally. I really wanted to go out to dinner and have a nice time with great company.

My date was someone who had repeatedly asked me out but our conflicting schedules made it difficult. For my birthday, we made plans but we both tested or COVID-19 and had to respectively quarantine while awaiting our results.

When our results returned as negative, he promised he would make up for the time we lost on my birthday. He did!

We went to the Royal Teppanyaki Restaurant at the Ramada Hotel, Providence. I love seafood, but we also had steak, and topped it off with a bottle of champagne.

Since it was my birthday, we were treated to complimentary chocolate cake with flare candles.

Of course, he had to sing ‘Happy Birthday’. All in all, the food and restaurant atmosphere were lovely, the customer service was exceptional, and having his company made the night exquisite.

Tequila shots at the hotel’s poolside? Why not!

‘Chocolates and Roses’ – Cassie, Georgetown
This guy had a girlfriend and asked me to be his Valentine.

First of all, I was unaware he had a girlfriend. To my knowledge, he bought chocolate for me and not his actual girlfriend.

It turns out that the girl had a problem with me the whole time and I didn’t even know who she was. Added to that, she is about three years younger than me.

I was shocked to know that she and her friends wanted to fight me. Seriously?

I want to also talk about another guy. He gave me a rose, but he never actually gave it to me. He threw it on the table.

‘Will you be my Valentine?’ – Jasmine, East Coast Demerara
This is still a developing story! My boyfriend surprised me while I was at work. I’m generally not a big fan of Valentine’s Day so I was not expecting anything spectacular. My boyfriend knows this.

During the day, my boyfriend called and asked me to step outside my office building. I obliged. To my surprise, there he was sitting in his car with the strangest, but warm smile on his face.

I get emotional when I think back on it. This man came to my job with a bouquet of flowers and a card, asking me to be his Valentine.

I stood there smiling in shock and awe. I still don’t know what he has planned for us over the weekend but I’m excited and can’t wait to see what he does. Like I said from the start, this is a developing story.