Jake wiped his sweaty palms on his khaki shorts for the hundredth time, his eyes darting between the setting sun and the path leading to the beach. Everything had to be perfect. He'd been planning this moment for months, and in just a few minutes, he'd be asking Melissa to marry him.
The ring box felt like it weighed a ton in his pocket. Jake had enlisted his best friend, Chris, to help set up the scene: a heart drawn in the sand, surrounded by seashells and tea lights. A picnic basket waited nearby, filled with Melissa's favorite foods and a bottle of champagne.
“She's coming!” Chris hissed, diving behind a nearby cabana.
Jake's heart leapt into his throat as he saw Melissa approaching, her sundress billowing in the gentle sea breeze. She looked beautiful, silhouetted against the pink and orange sky.
“Jake? What's all this?” Melissa asked, her eyes wide as she took in the romantic setup.
He took a deep breath. “Melissa, I—”
A sudden gust of wind cut him off, extinguishing half the candles and sending the picnic blanket flying. Jake lunged to catch it, stumbling in the process and face-planting in the sand.
“Oh my god, are you okay?” Melissa rushed to help him up.
Jake spat out a mouthful of sand, his cheeks burning with embarrassment. “I'm fine, I'm fine,” he assured her, trying to brush off his clothes. This was not how he'd envisioned starting his proposal.
Determined to get back on track, Jake reached for the ring box – only to find his pocket empty. Panic seized him as he patted himself down frantically.
“Jake, what's wrong? You're acting weird,” Melissa said, concern etching her features.
“Nothing! Everything's fine!” Jake's voice came out an octave higher than usual. His eyes scanned the sand desperately. Where was the ring?
A loud squawk drew their attention. To Jake's horror, he saw a seagull strutting away, the small velvet box clutched in its beak.
“Hey! Drop that!” Jake shouted, charging after the bird.
The seagull, startled by the sudden movement, took off down the beach with Jake in hot pursuit. He could hear Melissa calling after him in confusion, but he couldn't stop now. That ring had cost him a pretty penny!
As he ran, huffing and puffing, Jake cursed his decision to forgo the gym in favor of proposal planning. The seagull stayed frustratingly out of reach, leading him on a wild chase across the sand.
Just when Jake thought his lungs might burst, the bird dropped the box. Unfortunately, it landed right at the water's edge. Jake dove for it, his fingers closing around the velvet just as a wave crashed over him.
Soaked and sputtering, Jake trudged back to where Melissa waited, a mix of amusement and bewilderment on her face. Chris had emerged from his hiding spot and was doubled over with laughter.
“Jake, what on earth is going on?” Melissa demanded.
Realizing how ridiculous he must look – sopping wet, covered in sand, and clutching a soggy ring box – Jake laughed. This was so far from the perfect proposal he'd imagined, but somehow, it felt right.
Still chuckling, he dropped to one knee in front of Melissa. “This isn't how I planned it at all, but… Melissa, will you marry me? Crazy seagull chases and all?”
Melissa's eyes widened. For a moment, Jake's heart stopped, fearing he'd ruined everything. But then, to his immense relief, she burst out laughing.
“Oh, Jake,” she said, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes. “Only you could turn a simple proposal into an adventure.” She pulled him to his feet, sand and all, and kissed him soundly. “Yes, you wonderful, ridiculous man. Of course I'll marry you.”
As they embraced, the rays of the sun began to dip below the horizon, painting the sky in brilliant hues of pink and gold. It wasn't the picture-perfect moment Jake had envisioned, but as he slipped the slightly damp ring onto Melissa's finger, he realized it was better than anything he could have planned.
Chris approached, still chuckling. “So, should I cancel the skywriter and the mariachi band?”
Jake groaned, burying his face in Melissa's shoulder as she dissolved into giggles once more. Soon the stars would twinkle overhead and Jake knew that this disastrous, perfect proposal would be a story they'd be telling for years to come.
—-
If you want to listen to this story you can, on youtube
https://www.youtube.com/@oliviasands-cozystories
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IA image – https://ideogram.ai/
IA Reading – https://platform.openai.com/playground/tts
