Even on Valentine’s Day, Cupid has it easy compared with sex toy store employee Lee Jacobs Riggs. For the next few days, the 28-year-old sex educator at Early To Bed, 5232 N. Sheridan Rd., will face the throngs of couples who make Valentine’s the busiest time of the year for the store. Luckily, Jacobs Riggs is armed with total fearlessness and an encyclopedic knowledge about sex toys. So bring it on, ye horny masses. It will take much more than awkward details of your sex life to faze the clerk.

Q: What’s the most popular Valentine’s Day gift for men and women?

A: Around Valentine’s things that are popular are popular throughout the year, like the Rabbit Habit. It’s the vibrator that was talked about in Sex and the City, but it’s not something I recommend for someone who is getting to know their body, it has a lot of bells and whistles. Good ways for people who don’t have lots of experience with vibrators are first-timer’s kits. Around Valentine’s Day there are also people shopping for things they wouldn’t necessarily spend money on, like chocolate body paint, chocolate tattoos, oils.

Q: Do you have any product suggestions?

A: The Silver Bullet vibrator is always a classic, $9 with variable speeds and good for partner play. Or our hard plastic vibrator named Tula, which is good for first-timers because of its long handle and variable speeds. I always recommend something with variable speeds if they’re not sure what power and vibration speed they’re comfortable with.

Q: Who comes into the stores?

A: A diverse group of people: straight couples, queer couples, men looking for gifts, women looking for gifts. It’s all across the board. The quantity of men shopping for their partners increases around Valentine’s.

Q: What are some of the strangest customer encounters you’ve had around Valentine’s?

A: Most of it’s pretty standard shopping. But a lot of Valentine’s Day stuff tends to be men wanting me to tell them what the perfect thing to get their girlfriend is. The response in my head is usually, ‘I hope you have a better idea of what your girlfriend likes than I do!’

Q: How do you personally feel about Valentine’s Day?

A: Mmm, I’m not a fan. I think that if Valentine’s encourages people to appreciate their partner or partners, or brings exciting things into their sex life, then that’s great. But I hope that happens more than once a year!

Q: Is there ever the issue of customers oversharing information about their sex lives?

A: If someone’s being sincere and genuine, it’s not an issue for me. I mean, it’s pretty much my job to not be embarrassed because if I’m comfortable with the material, then the person I’m communicating with will be also. I frankly don’t see it as embarrassing; sexuality is an integral part of any human being.

Q: So nothing gets to you, huh?

A: (Laughs.) Not a lot! Although there are frustrating parts of any job. There are definitely times when people are inappropriate, and that can be jarring. Once in a while people will ask what I want, or what I use, and it’s not relevant to shopping.

Q: So what does faze you?

A: Oh, I don’t know. I have a lot of training in crisis intervention (from working at anti-sexual violence centers), so I’m pretty level-headed.

Q: So how do you feel after you help someone find that perfect toy?

A: It’s a pretty affirming job. I get to spend time with people and help them, and that’s not something you can find in a job everywhere