Don't let this happen to you.

Monday morning, Feb. 14: you're on your way to the water cooler after giving some presentation that you totally nailed, when you pass a neighboring cubicle and spot a bouquet of roses and a heart-shaped box. Uh-oh, it's Valentine's Day!

A moment ago, you were cruising toward employee of the month. Now, you're behind the wheel of the Worst Boyfriend Ever Express.

Don't be too hard on yourself. In the words of East Providence's florists: "You're not alone."

It's a no-brainer that Valentine's Day brings booming sales to those in the flower industry. For better or for worse, most of that business takes place on Valentine's Day. But florists know you might forget, and they're waiting for your panicked after- work dash into the studios.

This means good news for you, the last minute bouquet buyer. Because of the consumer precedent established by thousands of men prior, you have escaped the fate of sleeping on a love seat, alone.

Easy for you, but a ton of work for the florists who turn 11th hour forget-to-shops into pristine forget-me-nots.

This year, Arlene Aronson of Gilmore's Flowers is expecting another epic wave of head-scratching men to flood the studio with last minute requests. 

"You know how many reserve orders we've gotten for Valentine's Day?," asked Aronson. "One. You know how many people will be here on Valentine's Day? Let's just say when I go home that night, I'll still be hearing the door bell ringing in my head."

Gilmore's other staff member, Donna Melhern, expects to sell in the neighborhood of 400 dozen of roses in honor of Cupid.

"If the holiday falls on a weekday, we do much better business," Melhern said. "People want to send their wives or girlfriends flowers when they're working during the week; but mostly it's because the men are working themselves and forget until someone at work reminds them."

See, you're not alone.

Kara John, owner of Consider The Lilies, said she too is short on pre-orders, but is expecting the usual rush of late bloomers into her shop when the holiday hits.

"Combine the fact that I don't raise my prices with the fact that a lot of people just forget, and I've got a busy day," John said.

But forgetting, like aging, can be done gracefully or the hard way. You can stand in line with the rest of your memory-lapsed comrades, or you can throw yourself at the mercy of your loyal florist who probably would have helped you anyway.

"Last year, this man begged me, and I mean begged me, to put together something, anything, after I had closed," John said. "He said, 'I don't care what it costs. Double it, triple it!' I didn't triple it, but you get the idea."

To be fair, sometimes love and begging go hand-in-hand. And if you find yourself in such a predicament this upcoming Valentine's Day, John has you covered.

"I look forward to it," said John. "I got into this business to put smiles on people's faces."

Thank goodness for that. Because of the folks at Gilmore's Flowers and Consider The Lilies, you can greet your special lady with flowers, chocolate-covered strawberries, and your romantic reputation intact.

With all of the hard work put in by these local florists, it makes you wonder: who's sending them flowers?