🏖️ A Surprise Under the Florida Sun

Ryan leaned back in his beach chair, sipping his iced tea and watching the bright evening sun cast a golden glow over the soft white sands of Destin, Florida. He and Brooke had rented a small beachfront condo for their week-long romantic getaway. Everything was perfect: the sound of the waves, the delicious food, and most importantly, their uninterrupted time together.

Brooke stood in front of him, beaming. She had just returned from a swim in the resort’s private pool and was getting ready to shower. Her golden hair was soaked, clinging to her striking teal swimsuit.

“Honey, I’m going to shower. I’m freezing,” she said, her voice shaking with playful chill. “Do you want to come into the room and check if I brought the right lotion you like?”

Ryan chuckled. “I don’t want to be thrown out for peeking. Just use whatever you like, my princess.”

Brooke winked, grabbed her large towel, and headed inside the condo.

Ryan stayed seated, enjoying the moment of peace. He had been with Brooke for nearly a year. Their relationship was fantastic. She was smart, funny, and they shared so many interests, from hiking in national parks to watching documentaries about space. Still, there was a small thing, a missing piece that Ryan couldn’t quite name.

About ten minutes later, Ryan heard Brooke call him from the bedroom.

“Ryan! Can you come here for a second?” Her voice sounded a little rushed.

Ryan stood up, his heart slightly concerned. He walked into the bedroom. Brooke was standing in the middle of the room; she had taken off her wet swimsuit and wrapped a towel around her chest, but she wasn’t the one who had called him. Instead, she was staring at an object on the vanity table, a smile half-surprised, half-proud on her face.

On the oak table, right next to Brooke’s phone, was not what Ryan expected, such as a small animal or a broken item.

It was a very elegant dark blue velvet box.

The box was not large, but it had an unmistakable formal appearance. A familiar feeling washed over Ryan, making his heart pound harder. This was the box he had kept in the safe at home, waiting for the right moment. He had planned to propose to Brooke at the final dinner of the trip, during a sunset cruise.

“What… what is this?” Ryan asked, his voice slightly off.

Brooke turned to look at him, pointing at the box with her index finger.

“I was wondering the same thing. When did you put it here?”

Ryan stared at the box, then looked at Brooke, then back at the box.

“I… I didn’t put it there,” Ryan stammered. “I brought it, yes, but it’s supposed to be in my underwear pouch, at the bottom of my suitcase. I checked this morning.”

Brooke shrugged, gripping her towel tighter. “Well, I saw it when I took off my swimsuit and went to look for a comb. It was right on the table. I thought maybe you took it out and forgot to put it away. Here, open it.” She picked up the box and held it out to him.

Ryan reluctantly took the box, feeling like his perfect plan had been ruined by some kind of supernatural force. He slowly opened the lid.

Inside was a platinum engagement ring, with a dazzling classic round-cut diamond shimmering under the bedroom light. It was perfect, exactly the ring Ryan had spent three months searching for.

The surprise was spoiled, but the biggest surprise had not stopped yet.

Just as Ryan was about to say the proposal lines he had rehearsed a hundred times in his head, Brooke burst out laughing.

“Haha! My love! Amazing!”

“Amazing what?” Ryan asked, confused. “I’m sorry I ruined the surprise. I was going to…”

Brooke interrupted him, spreading her arms, still holding the towel with one hand.

“No, no, you didn’t ruin anything. My surprise is this!”

She quickly took a step back, turned around, and let the towel drop to the floor.

Ryan nearly dropped the box. He did not see what he thought he would see.

Brooke was wearing a white two-piece swimsuit (bikini), but it was completely unusual. It was not made of typical fabric. In fact, it was not fabric at all.

Her swimsuit was made of small, rigid plastic cards, connected by tiny metal rings. Each plastic card was about the size of a credit card.

Ryan squinted. “Brooke, what is that? That… doesn’t look like swimwear.”

Brooke giggled, lifting one leg to pose.

“It’s a Loyalty Card Bikini, my love!”

“A Loyalty Card Bikini?”

“Exactly! I collected all my old, expired, or unused loyalty cards—from grocery stores, pizza places, craft shops, and even an old library card. I spent all last week cutting, punching holes, and linking them together into a complete bikini set. I thought it was a fun fashion statement for the beach, but I was a little shy about wearing it outside. I wanted to show you my surprise first!”

Ryan stared at the bizarre swimsuit. He could read the names on the cards: “Sweet Donut Shop Gold Card,” “Dry Cleaner Express Discount Card,” “Old Department Store Member Card.” It looked like she had used cards from about forty different businesses to create this wearable piece of art.

It was silly, creative, and utterly fitting for Brooke’s personality. It was the kind of surprise only she could come up with.

Ryan shook his head, a smile spreading across his face. The tension and worry about the ruined proposal suddenly vanished.

“My God, Brooke. You are the most amazing woman. This is the most ridiculous and wonderful thing I have ever seen. You are wearing all your grocery stores.”

“I know, right! But does it distract you?” Brooke chuckled.

“Absolutely not,” Ryan replied, but his eyes were still glued to the plastic card swimsuit.

He gently placed the ring box down on the table, right next to her phone.

He walked closer to Brooke, placing his hands on her shoulders, feeling the subtle rough edges of the plastic cards.

“Brooke…”

“Yes?”

“I’ve been carrying this ring everywhere, waiting for the perfect moment, and you just showed me a swimsuit made of loyalty cards. This is perfectly us.”

He knelt on one knee, regardless of the fact that he had revealed the ring earlier.

“I love you, Brooke. I love your silliness, your creativity, and the way you turn a pile of junk into something amazing. I can’t imagine my life without you, without the little surprises, the big surprises, and the loyalty card surprises. Brooke…”

He took the ring out of the box, holding it on his fingertip.

“Will you marry me, and build a life with me full of inside jokes and eccentric craft projects?”

Brooke’s eyes welled up, and she completely forgot that she was standing in the middle of the room only wearing a plastic card bikini.

“Oh, Ryan! Of course, I will! Yes, yes, yes!”

She jumped into his arms, wrapping her hands around his neck. Ryan hugged her, feeling the plastic cards pressing against his skin, but he didn’t care.

As they kissed, Ryan could feel a hard card from some electronics store rubbing against his cheek, but all he did was laugh.

This wasn’t the romantic sunset cruise proposal he had planned. It was much, much better. It was totally random, totally silly, and totally their own.

They pulled apart, and Brooke looked down at her finger, where the ring now sparkled brightly, a stark contrast to the eccentric swimwear she was wearing.

“This moment is perfectly weird,” she said, wiping a tear.

“I thought so too,” Ryan agreed. “I’m going to tell everyone: ‘My fiancée took off her swimsuit, and I proposed to her right after seeing her in supermarket membership cards.’ This story will live forever.”

Brooke giggled. “I might have to reconsider wearing it outside. I don’t want to overshadow my ring.”

Ryan stood up, picked up Brooke’s towel, and draped it over her shoulders.

“You can wear whatever you want, my princess. As long as you marry me.”

He glanced down at the swimsuit. “Oh, by the way. I think I see an Old Library Card right there on your collarbone. Do you have any overdue books?”

Brooke playfully punched his arm. “You fool! Now help me take this plastic off, my future husband. It’s a little tricky to remove!”

Ryan laughed heartily, beginning to carefully detach the tiny metal rings from the unique swimsuit. It was a complicated job, but for Ryan, it was the perfect start to their married life. He had found the biggest surprise of his life, and it was made of love, humor, and a lot of expired loyalty cards.