MARLON Hinds made his girlfriend De-Andrea Bryan the happiest woman at the JN Mall Pop-up Shopping Experience on Sunday when he surprised her with a marriage proposal.

Armed with a bouquet of pink roses and a diamond ring, Hinds got on one knee and popped the question, triggering loud screams from patrons and organisers who, despite the pouring rain, ran to Bryan’s Luna Care booth inside the JN Bank Chief Office parking lot in Half-Way-Tree to catch a glimpse, record a video, or photograph the unfolding romance.

Although the bold proposal took Bryan by surprise, the inventor of a first-of-its-kind line of period underwear in Jamaica and qualified geographer gave her boyfriend of eight years the answer he craved — “Yes!”

“I’m overwhelmed, really. I guess this is every woman’s dream,” Bryan said as she came to terms with all that had unfolded.

“This morning was very iffy already because I was calling him to come and assist me with some stuff here, and I couldn’t understand what was happening. But, I’m happy,” added Bryan who was one of 75 merchants at the event.

Hinds, by now smiling from ear to ear, said, “I knew we had the [JN Mall] Pop-up [Shopping Experience], and she didn’t expect to see me here today because her mom is at another pop-up. As far as talking to them, they knew maybe I would help out, but they wouldn’t see me here today. I knew I wanted to do this before next year, before new year and Christmas itself, [so] I tried to surprise her and popped up.

“I just waited until she was busy with some customers and then I just situated myself,” he shared.

The couple, who work in the telecoms sector, met on the job and, according to Bryan, her mother encouraged the relationship.

“It was my mother who saw him and said: ‘That guy is very handsome, why don’t you talk to him?… She was integral to the matchup,” Bryan said, her smile growing brighter as she stared at her fiancé while he stared back with equally dilated eyes.