V-Day
By Dana Fowles
Don’t fall into the solitary chick flick-ice cream-wine trap this Valentine’s
This year I will be spending Valentine’s Day with the perfect man, Jake. He is gorgeous, intelligent, well dressed, caring and funny. Unfortunately, he also happens to be gay.
The two of us have always wished that our lives would play out like films, with handsome Mr. Darcy types waiting to sweep us off our feet.
Sadly, during the past couple of weeks our lives have played out more like episodes of Eastenders – or, even worse – Jeremy Kyle.
Picture this: you return home to find your best friend on the floor, rocking himself in the foetal position.
When asked what on earth the matter is, he replies: ‘My boyfriend is a porn star’. This, I promise you, did actually happen. I still can’t quite believe it myself.
Jake had accidentally stumbled across the guy he had been seeing in a few, shall we say, compromising positions online. I know, what are the chances? The employee of a corporate company by day, an actor of the X rated variety by night. I kid you not.
Not long afterwards, I found out that the ‘lovely’ guy I had been seeing had also been with one of my friends. Yes, at the same time. Despite this, I absolutely refuse to spend February 14th recreating the ‘All by myself’ scene from Bridget Jones.
Although this may be hard to believe, there is no law in place which states that us singletons must sit in and cry ourselves to sleep on the ‘dreaded’ day. So, invite your mates over, grab a bottle of wine, order a pizza and put a film on. In Finland it is called Ystävänpäivä, which actually means ‘Friend’s day’.
This is what I intend to keep in mind when I end the night spooning the only man for me, my soul mate, my one true love – my gay best friend.
Dana Fowles
More Coverage
I don’t drink: here’s how to survive Freshers’ sober
From pub crawls to Freshers’ events, drinking can feel unavoidable, and sobriety can feel isolating. Here’s how to miss out on the hangovers, not the fun
The Mancunion’s ultimate Freshers’ pub crawl
From post-lecture treats to big nights out, pubs are social glue at university and a great way to see more of a city. Here’s our student-friendly crawl, featuring ten of the most integral to student life in Manchester
What does your degree say about you?
It can be a difficult, mind-bending task to choose what subject you want to study at uni
Freshers’ guide: eating and drinking in Manchester
From good ramen to twee study spots, here’s our guide to sampling Manchester’s rich and fulfilling food scene






