Nights Out...

Valentines Day

Every year when Valentine's Day looms I have mixed feelings. On the one hand I can remember spending them with my first boyfriend in High School, when we used to do the whole presents and cards shebang (there may even have been poetry involved too - cringe!) back when love was new and exciting.

It was therefore a complete change when my second boyfriend at university was so against the holiday that we didn't even see each other on the day, and I spent four Valentine's sat in by myself watching crappy TV and eating Haribo.

So this year, as my first V-Day single since being fourteen (gosh!) I wasn't really too bothered. With it being on a Thursday, I worked until half six anyway, and then had planned to head home and spend the evening like any other. However, my friend Abi mentioned that she was going out with her sister in Hale and invited me, so I thought I'd bob along.

The restaurant we went to is quintessentially family orientated, so there were very few couples cooing at each other over their starters, and there wasn't any hostility at three girls taking up a much valued table (especially good as I wasn't eating). I ordered a gin and lemonade and was chatted up by the fat Italian waiter, who invited me to Levenshulme after he had finished work. Needless to say I declined.

We shared a cheesy garlic bread, and then the girls had a main each (I had already eaten at Aum's, who incidentally was the only boy who wished me 'Happy Valentine's Day' without intention!). I decided to get a dessert though, as I didn't want to push my luck delaying the growing queue outside, and I am a sucker for a good cake. I opted for the caramel pavlova with ice cream, which was gorgeous, despite being over half my daily calorie allowance!

We got the bill, skipping the awkward Valentine's conversation over who would pay, and then headed home to empty beds. It may not have been candlelit and rose filled Valentine's Day, but do you know what? I much prefer pavlova anyway; especially when it means I can keep my options open!