...And everything nice

The way we see it, there are two types of Valentines: the sweet and the spicy. Sweet is an eloquent, handwritten love note and a bunch of fresh flowers. Spicy is massage oil and a fresh coat of body paint. Find a well-balanced blend of both sides of Cupid at the Sugar & Spice party at the Hard Rock Café (22-24 Clinton Street, Boston, 617.424.7625). It’s a pre-Valentine’s Day evening — 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on February 12 — of sexy dance lessons courtesy of Salsa Boston, airbrush body painting from locally based Gin C Productions, and a tacky pick-up-line contest for whoever’s had enough cocktails to participate. And while it’s an adults-only gathering, the night’s proceeds benefit Project Smile — a Massachusetts nonprofit that provides police office rs, firefighters, and paramedics with toys, stuffed animals, and other small comforts for children facing trauma. Pretty sweet. Get tickets ($25) at www.projectsmile.org.