In celebration of Valentine’s Day, Deshawn Matthews hopes to surprise his girlfriend of three years with a trip off of Tortola and a fancy dinner.
“I have to find a way to get her off island without raising suspicion,” said Mr. Matthews, who manages CPS Telecommunications on Main Street.
He is among many residents who are planning special dates on Sunday. Gift shops around the territory will deliver hundreds of flowers and other items, and restaurants and resorts are offering special deals.
Aenya Pemberton, who works as a sales representative at Mi Amor, hopes her boyfriend is planning something unusual — and it doesn’t have to be expensive.
“I like the idea of picnics on the beach,” she said. “Although the beach might seem the same as any other time of the year, I think it will be special that day. We live in the Caribbean, and I don’t think we take advantage of the beach as much as we should.”
A long drive would be nice as well, she added.
“I like car rides, so a tour around the island would be nice,” she said. “It will be an opportunity to spend time together just to talk.”
Adrian Hodge is planning a surprise for his wife Tamantha, who he married in August.
“She likes smoothies, so I might get her a cup of smoothie and maybe some flowers,” Mr. Hodge. “But that’s not all. I might be planning a bigger surprise, and I don’t want to blow my cover so early.”
His wife said she’ll be happy as long as they’re together.
“Hopefully, we get to spend quality time to get to know more about each other,” she said. “I hope we can shut out ourselves from the rest of the world and just have a good time.”
Creativity
When choosing a gift, creativity always helps, according to David Fonseca, who delivers flowers for Bella Blooms.
“You can stay home, cook her a meal or even have barbeque,” he said, adding that hiking a trail on Tortola is another option.
Other couples won’t get to be together on Sunday. Elizabeth Diaz had hoped to go on a beach picnic with her husband, but they had to change their plans.
“My husband is a bartender and he has to work on Valentine’s Day,” she said. “Maybe next week Monday or Tuesday we can celebrate.”
Camique Osborne, who works at Martine Wester London, might be having dinner or going to the movies, but she offered ideas to consider.
“If I was a guy, I’ll send my girl flowers three days before Valentine’s Day,” she said. “I might also send her a box of chocolate and other presents before the actual day, just to get her excited.”
And on Valentine’s Day, a shopping spree is in order, Ms. Osborne said.
“We can even go on a double date with another couple,” she added. “We get so accustomed to being together, so sometimes it’s good to see how other couples act and interact.”
Ultimately, the day is a time to show love and make people feel special, said Cary O’Neal, who works for government.
“For me, I show love every day,” Mr. O’Neal said, “but do more on Valentine’s.”
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