Treat your romantic trio right

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 11/02/2020 (2070 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

DEAR MISS LONELYHEARTS: What am I supposed to do with three woman on my Valentine’s list this year? None of them are serious, and none of them are in love with me, but we are great sex buddies — not as a group, but separately. I grew up in an old-fashioned family where you don’t disappoint people on special occasions by giving them nothing. So what is appropriate?

— Three Valentine’s Gifts, Osborne Village

Dear Three Gifts: Let me start by telling you what’s not appropriate. Don’t go the florist and order three dozen red roses to be sent to three different women with different names, cards and addresses.

This move can easily end up with the cards getting mixed up. Group shopping and deliveries from just one shop, even for casual lovers, show little class or effort.

You are lucky to have three women welcoming you into their beds. Go to three different places and get three different gifts to suit each woman — flowers, cards, jewellery, lingerie or quality chocolates, and nice cards.

As for how you’re going to deliver these gifts, it depends on the days or nights you will be seeing them, but delivering the gifts by hand to their workplaces on Valentine’s Day would nice, because their work mates will see they are receiving a gift — and that counts for more to a lady. Don’t ask me how I know this!

As for Valentine dates, lunch at a nice spot, dinner at a romantic restaurant or a late candlelight dinner you serve at your place are all appropriate. The day before, or a Feb. 14 daytime or evening date are both good. The night after is not so good.

That would make it seem they were definitely not top of the list in your life. However the 15th does fall on a Saturday this year, so you’re lucky. You could offer to take one lady dancing at a club on the best night of the week for it.

Does all this pussyfooting around seem like a lot to ask of one guy? Consider this: You’re getting a lot of affection for a single man, and you should be happy to put in the extra effort that lovin’ deserves!

Dear Miss Lonelyhearts: Last year my husband gave me a diamond tennis bracelet for Valentine’s Day. He called them diamonds, so I thought I should get insurance on the piece, so I took it in and had it appraised. It was a fake. My husband and I had bitter words over it, as he makes a lot of money with his business.

I wouldn’t have minded a quality costume jewelry bracelet, if it were honestly presented as such. But he tried to pass it off as real, the cheapskate! This year I’m considering buying him a flashy, fake-gold watch I already spotted. What do you think?

— Still Supremely Annoyed, Brandon

Dear Annoyed: Stay away from jewelry altogether! That will clearly be seen as tit-for-tat move, and you’ll have yet another year of annoyance and distrust. Your wealthy husband is not likely to cheap out and give you costume jewelry again after last year’s experience, so don’t even worry about that.

Put it behind you, and give him a nice gift in line with an interest of his. If he gives you the default gift of a dozen or more roses, accept them graciously and consider the fight over. You have been angry and no doubt a tad cool to your husband for the last year. It’s time to let that fight go, and warm things up.

Dear Miss Lonelyhearts: I just read your column in regard to the son whose mom hated him and left him out of her will. It happened to me. My brother got everything and we don’t speak. Money really is the root of all evil.

I get that the mother wanted the other siblings to have her money — and that two members of their big family really needed that money. (Miss L. suggested a voluntary redistribution of the will, according to what people could afford).

My thoughts would be to share equally, to keep any bad feelings from breaking up the remaining family. Their mom is gone and all they have left is each other. Love your columns.

— Just S., Manitoba.

Please send your questions and comments to lovecoach@hotmail.com or Miss Lonelyhearts c/o the Winnipeg Free Press, 1355 Mountain Ave., Winnipeg, MB, R2X 3B6.