We return back to another episode of The Bachelor! For those who have missed our previous episode, Bobby took the girls out to a little party held at a tropical bar not far from the villa but with an uninvited guest some drama ensued. The contestants arrived home fulfilled yet tired from the emotional night yet a new day has dawned and the bachelor has a solo date ahead of him...
Not a single sim stirred in their sleep that night. The combination of lingering jetlag from their recent flight to Champs Les Sims along with a highly emotional night just yesterday completely knocked everyone out and the lot slept soundly to the distant sounds of waves colliding with the shore.
Once the skies turned from a midnight blue to a pink hue it was Mary-Anne who awoke from her slumber first. She lay in bed and as her eyes fluttered open she gazed upon the gorgeous sunrise that opened up before her through her window. As she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes she stood up, stretched and spent a moment to admire the nature surrounding her.
She did not know how many more days she had left in the competition so with that knowledge she admired the tropical landscapes around Sunlit Tides with all her heart. The nature was so splendidly different from what she was used to back home in her little suburban town of Appaloosa Plains and she just knew she would miss the salty smell of the sea that can be sensed from their garden.
Nevertheless she got herself dressed back into her casual clothes, the typical light blue tank and blue butterfly jeans, and kept herself busy while she waited for breakfast to be served by their personal chef. She wasn't aware if anyone else had risen from their beds yet so she walked to the function room on the second floor and plucked a few chords on the double bass, her preferred instrument.
Little did she know Bethany had been jamming a tune of her own on the funky guitar that stood in her room. As she had the room that was farthest from the rest of the girls she didn't concern herself about her noise levels and began composing a new tune. She was so proud of the effect her previous song had on their bachelor and so she was inspired to create something even better, singing her improvised lines to the toast plushie left behind by her ex-roommate.
Up in the highest floor of the mansion Bobby found himself in the bathroom getting started for the day, a goofy yet genuine smile plastered across his face. He laughed at himself once he stood at the mirror, embarrassed at how giddy he was to face another day with some beautiful girls, but began to plan the happenings for the day ahead of them.
He trimmed his beard and brushed his teeth while he pondered on who he would take on a solo date today. There had been so many group events recently, even the five separate dates he led out in France felt like a group date looking back, so he was ready to put his entire attention on one gal this time. But who to choose? Everyone has taken such a strong liking to him and vice versa... who did he want to know more deeply?
It wasn't a light decision to make and so he ventured to grab a helping of breakfast and continue his thinking over his plate of food. As he walked into the kitchen, still in his sleepwear, he smiled a hello to all the girls that had woken up before retreating to the dining room to eat in privacy. He did not want any influence from the ladies during his pondering and the contestants got the hint.
Two girls ate at the counter while the other half of the group feasted at the small breakfast table all in the kitchen. Rosie was still yawning through her meal and Mary-Anne appreciated her quietness so they sat together while Bethany entertained Pearl with gossiping about what was next to come.
"Maybe he will take one of us deep sea diving!" exclaimed Bethany with the enthusiasm like she made a fantastic discovery. Pearl shook her head in doubt and took another bite of her eggs machiavellian that were growing cold on her plate. Bethany tapped her chin like a cartoon character who was deep in thought.
"What if he brings some of us to ascend the active volcano on the other side of the island? Ooo~" Bethany flickered her fingers embodying a ghost to make the volcano tour sound spooky but Pearl just rolled her eyes before dropping her fork into her food.
"Maybe he'll take you personally and drop you into the lava?" jested Pearl to which Bethany gasped humorously. She playfully slapped Pearl on the arm and overheard the other girls sharing a giggle at Pearl's comment, shooting them a smiling glare.
Soon their plates were empty and the girls gathered their tableware to wash and in the other room Bobby had finished his food minutes before them. He sighed and hummed at his speculations and ultimately decided that he would approach each girl after breakfast and see who he felt the strongest pull towards asking on a solo date to.
He got straight to it and found himself in the entertainment room in the next room over where Pearl was challenging herself to do a trick shot at the pool table. She was squatted down at first, lining up the geometry in her head, before standing up and growing a little flustered as Bobby stood nearby. He crossed his arms, somewhat suggestively, and a smirk creeped across his lips as he stood in wait to see Pearl attempt this fantastical shot. After a minute or so she finally broke,
"Ah, Bobby! I can't concentrate with you staring at me like that!" she whined, her cheeks growing a little pink under her makeup. Bobby finally let out a laugh but ultimately decided in silence that he would leave this foxy lady behind in the villa today.
He moved on into the kitchen, taking his discarded dirty plate with him, and saw Rosie doing the last bits of cleanup at the end of the room. Her face beamed with joy when she spotted him approaching her and Bobby noticed her eyes dart down to his exposed torso a couple of times.
"Let me wash your plate for you," offered Rosie, doing her best to speak cool and calmly.
"You're very kind, Rosie. Thank you," answered Bobby. As she walked away towards the sink where she began to scrub at the dish entertaining herself with a tune she whistled he decided she wouldn't be the girl he would invite on a date today either. He had nothing against Pearl or Rosie in his mind, he just felt like he needed to decipher something more with someone else...
Staccato notes echoed from the white grand piano that stood in the grand hall where they would have their elimination ceremonies and the bachelor found Mary-Anne sitting at the keys playing the harmonious tune. It was a commonly known composition, one written by a famous contemporary musician from Bridgeport, and stayed to listen for a while.
He quietly analysed the ginger girl's fingers glide between the white and black keys with such ease and at a distance his mind decided that she would not be the one either. There was one more lady left in the home and his ears got hold of another song coming from the end of the room and so he followed the melody.
Bethany had turned on the large stereo that stood in one corner and grooved to a famous pop song, shaking her narrow hips and bouncing her shoulders to the beat of the musical hit. She was definitely a better singer than she was a dancer but it was adorable nonetheless and Bobby found himself magnetised to her presence.
The blonde girl spotted the bachelor approach her and motioned an invisible rope pulling him closer to her until they were merely inches apart and vibing to the melody. They both swayed in time, not with a few beats missed her and there, and smiled genuinely at one another. Bethany also couldn't help but glance down at Bobby's muscles, having no shame in letting her eyes linger longer than Rosie's did just minutes before, and even tried to take a step forward in their dance.
"My eyes are up here!" joked Bobby and Bethany's gaze shot back up to his face before letting out a sly giggle at him. "Music is really your lifeblood, isn't it?"
"Can't live without it," admitted Bethany before pulling off a dizzy spin and stumbling a bit as she rebalanced herself. They danced for a few minutes more until the song seemed to come to its end and they proceeded to change to a gentle sway.
"It's a gorgeous day out today," spoke Bobby as he looked out the large window and into the coastline.
"It sure is," agreed his dance partner. "I simply can't get enough of it." Before she had the chance to make another of her daring and direct comments Bobby was the next to speak again.
"How about you and I get up to something fun and adventurous today?" Bethany's eyes widened in glee and she loudly asked,
"Really? Just the two of us?!" Bobby nodded in response and she hopped in place as she squealed with joy. "I just need to freshen up and I'll be ready for you!"
"No rush, I need to get changed into some daytime clothes!" laughed Bobby as he reminded her what he was wearing. The other girls had become aware that they would remain at the villa and a little piece of their heart died from not getting chosen yet their bodies were relieved they got to lounge around and soak in the sunrays and engage in their hobbies before the next elimination that would be happening tomorrow.
As the couple for the day exited the villa everyone they passed by waved them good bye and wished them luck on their date, with only the slightest twinge of jealousy behind the comment. Bobby opened the passenger door to their sleek black car that they would be driving today and waited for Bethany to get seated and comfortable before walking around to the driver's seat.
Their short journey around the island was filled with Bethany asking if he would tell her where he was taking her to which he shook his head to. She attempted a few more guesses but he just responded with "I won't tell you!" She slumped back into her seat out of frustration but she couldn't stop an excited smile from emerging on her face.
Soon they parked on the side of a sandy road and before them stood a magnificently colourful hot air balloon next to a small light green bungalow. Bethany leaned towards her window and pressed her face and hands against it in awe and gasped at the sight.
"We're here," began Bobby. "We're gonna be hot air ballooning around Sunlit Tides!" Bethany clapped eagerly in response and was first to swing her car door open and step back out into the hot sun. The bachelor followed suit and followed his energetic date towards the bungalow to finalise all of the details for their trip.
The grass rustled gently under their feet and a warm gentle breeze tousled their hair as they walked closer to the visitor center, it was seeming like they were perfectly lucky with the weather for their sky voyage that they were about to embark on.
Once they found themselves inside the brightly decorated bungalow Bobby handled all of the expenses and paperwork that needed to be done before turning towards his date and reminding her to pay attention to the short safety talk that the instructor behind the desk was about to speak on. The information was simple and concise and Bethany was just impatient to get into the large basket and fly high into the sky.
Bobby appreciated her enthusiasm but placed a hand on her shoulder at one point to steady her energy and to take things slow. That was one thing that the bachelor was aware of about Bethany, she always dove head first into the things she longed for and it was sometimes to her detriment.
His hand slid down her arm and clasped around her smaller hand, giving it a gentle squeeze, and so the pair were ready for flight. They walked out the front door and Bethany noticed that the instructor wasn't following behind them and she asked if they would be flying alone.
"Indeed we will," answered Bobby and continued to explain why. "When I lived in Champs Les Sims they had plenty of hot air balloons littering the skies, as I'm sure you noticed when we were there. During one of the many hot air balloon festivals that were held in the hills near the town I got interested in learning to operate and fly one myself and after many journeys I am a licensed hot air balloon flier!"
Bethany was very intrigued and she found it very attractive to know just how talented and unique Bobby is. Once they stood next to the basket that they were about to climb into Bethany's feet suddenly became rooted into the ground. Fear began to spread into her limbs and it was impossible for her to move.
"Are you alright?" questioned Bobby once he felt her lag behind him.
"I-I think I'm... nervous," admitted Bethany, her eyebrows arching into an uncertain expression. Bobby sighed with empathy and took her second hand in his and rubbed his thumbs along the backs of her hands.
"It's definitely a brave thing to embark on," shared the bachelor. "I certainly was anxious to all hell when we began lift off in my first flight but I promise you you quickly feel one with the basket, flowing with the wind with ease. And besides, you get so distracted by the gorgeous views surrounding you to remember just how high up you are!" Bethany laughed before taking a deep breath, exhaling slowly through puckered lips, and nodding as a sign to say she is ready.
Bethany stepped inside first and was happy to feel just how sturdy the weaving of the crisp branches that made up the large basket were. Bobby followed suit and closed the little door to their vessel with several latches. He began to check their supplies and read some meters that signified fuel levels and other numbers that Bethany failed to decipher before he turned towards his date, one hand clasping the cord above them.
"Are you ready to fly?" asked Bobby with a daring tone. Bethany opened her mouth but no sound escaped from her throat so instead she simply nodded, a fast nod with some anxiety still behind her movements.
"Hold on tight then!" alerted Bobby and he began to pull the lever above him to produce a forceful flame that would enlarge the hot air balloon and give it the buoyancy to rise up into a bulbous shape.
While the couple waited for their balloon to fully fill with hot air on one side of the island the three other contestants were still back at the beachside villa taking it easy. Mary-Anne continued to hit the keys of the grand piano and entertain herself with a variety of her favourite classical compositions, taking breaks in between to lean against the polished wood and gaze out into the lush clusters of palm trees that separated her from the rest of the population of Sunlit Tides.
Her mind wandered to all sorts of places, awe for the beauty surrounding her, worry for what awaits her, yearning to see her family again and above all else determination to win this competition. She rested her head on the back of her hands, flipping the world on its side as she gazed out the window, and eventually decided to go get a drink for she grew parched.
Through the kitchen windows she found where her other roommates had disappeared to. As she took out a cool bottle of iced tea from the fridge and poured herself a helping she watched Pearl and Rosie soak up the sunrays and throw a football to each other in turns, playing a lazy game of catch. Rosie still hadn't gotten changed out of her pyjamas but they seemed perfectly comfortable for a lightly physical game such as what she occupied herself with.
They seemed to be chatting on and off but Mary-Anne couldn't hear what about. Many laughs and smiles were exchanged however and the red haired girl was happy that the contestants that remained alongside her were so friendly and forgiving. They were all so pretty too but she tried her best not to compare her appearance to the others, they were all so different and for a good reason.
By the time her glass was half empty she played a little game by herself where she attempted to put herself into the bachelor's shoes, figuratively. She swirled the orange coloured liquid around and looked down into it, weighing the pros and cons of each girl that remained in the competition and why he would possibly chose one over the other.
She left herself to last, of course, and truly in her heart of hearts believed she had a chance to be in the finale... but against who? Rosie is one of a kind yet Mary-Anne still knew so little about her, she hid away parts of herself from the girls but what has she revealed to Bobby? Pearl has been said to have gotten very intimate with the bachelor but to what degree nobody but the ones who engaged in the act knew. And Bethany, well, she wrote the bachelor a song and performed it in public. Who wouldn't fall for that? The downside was that she was extremely direct and Mary-Anne felt that if she were Bobby she would be unattracted to it.
The last drops of her drink slid down the side of the glass and quenched the last of her thirst, placing the discarded drink into the sink, and so Mary-Anne decided to join the girls in the garden not to play alongside them but to sit on the tailored grass nearby and join in silently in their conversations.
It was blast off for Bobby and Bethany and with each meter that they got from the ground the louder Bethany's mildly panicked scream became. Bobby was now firing the burners in sporadic bursts and with his free hand he wrapped himself around his date as to steady her body and her heart.
She looked up at him with bewildered eyes but quickly began to melt in his sharp blue gaze, nonchalant and calmer than ever, and so she tried to imitate his demeanor and focus on her breathing. As she was so close to the bachelor she could smell his sexy cologne and the pheromones made her feel slightly titillated.
The hot air balloon drifted gently eastward away from their starting point and close enough to the beaches not far from them. Bobby was being truthful when he said that the views would open up magnificently and Bethany would be too distracted to worry about her fear of heights or crashing from above and she was the first to begin pointing out various landmarks below them.
Bobby bends down and opens a small compartment by their feet and pulls out two binoculars, handing one to his date. She happily takes one from him and they both begin to spy out some brilliant landmarks as they float above Sunlit Tides. Bobby distracts himself from their playful activity to check on the meters and blow more hot air into their flotation device.
The hovered around the singular mountain that the island offered and even flew high above the volcano, peering down into the center of the crater to check for any volcanic action. Bethany hollered at any interesting people or buildings she saw and invited Bobby to look the same direction as her, a childlike wonder overcoming her. Once they were close to completing a full lap around the crescent-shaped island Bobby halted their floating and tried to make their aircraft as still as possible, still floating high above the sights below but only a little lower as to sit in a less windy tunnel.
He knelt down once more, hands rummaging around in the same compartment he fished out the binoculars from, and Bethany hard subtle sounds that sounded like glass clinking. She was right, he pulled out two champagne glasses and a bottle of a French semi-sweet nectar. Bethany shrieked in delight and held the glasses while Bobby popped off the cork and let a little spritz fly over the edge of the basket they stood in.
As they toasted their glasses and took their first sip they looked at the horizon and noticed a brilliant golden hue gathering, signifying the beginning of the day's sunset. They both were speechless about how quickly their time flew by, pun intended, and stood in the first moment of natural silence in quite a while. Bobby tugged on the thick cord above them once to keep them level in the air but that did not break the shared tranquility.
It really was lovely to float above the tropical town they found themselves in and Bethany was so grateful that Bobby chose her as the contestant to take on the solo date. In her fear she had forgotten that this was meant to be a romantic date and so she felt pressured to catch up on all of the missed displays of affection towards Bobby. Luckily for Bethany she was the master of being direct and she always got what she wanted.
She took her free hand as she sipped her champagne with the other and began to rub the bachelor's back up and down. Even through his green and black baseball tee she could feel the definitions of his muscles and spine and trill continued to rise gradually in her chest. As she lifted the glass back into a relaxed position, swallowing her drink with pleasure, she guided her arm to rest upon his shoulders and they exchanged a glance.
They continued to stand in silence, still floating high above the land. Wind gracefully blew through their hair and sounds of seagulls and tropical birds sounded out in the distance while the sunset only grew into a more intense orange hue; it was truly the most romantic moment either of them could have hoped for.
Their silence continued and their eyes remained locked in place, only shifting to study the features of each other's faces. Bethany's heart was speeding up with every minute that passed them by while Bobby's heart battled the great questions of what the girl before him meant to him. Her honey brown eyes pierced through his soul and her smile never left her face when she was around him, he knew she was wholly enamoured with him. Should he kiss her? She forced their first kiss onto him and he did not resist... would it be time for him to make a move for their second meeting of the lips?
But a moment is only called a moment for it has to end and this one ended with a jolt. A sudden gust of wind, stronger than what they experienced that day, shook their basket and Bethany began falling forward and onto the bachelor. Bobby steadied himself quickly and caught his date and to Bethany's misfortune he did not lean into a kiss in the typical rom-com scenario. The man was too focused on steadying the hot air balloon and suggested that they begin floating back towards the place where they took off.
He steered the balloon back around the island and encouraged Bethany to continue looking through her binoculars to see anything else they had possibly missed and she did just that. The colours of the buildings and even the greenery below them had changed with the precious sunset and at one point she shared that the specific hue of the sunrays dancing along the waters was her favourite shade of orange.
Before they knew it they began to make their descent and attempt to land as accurately as possible onto their target below. Bobby wasn't fibbing when he said he was a master at flying the hot air balloon and awarded his date with a landing softer than she had ever imagined. The balloon above them deflated slowly, crumpling and deflating before their eyes, and Bobby unlatched the door to their basket to let them out back onto the green grass and back onto soil.
"This has seriously been the absolute coolest date I have ever been on!" exclaimed Bethany before swinging her arms around the bachelor. "Thank you once again for choosing me today."
"It's been an absolute pleasure," answered Bobby. "How about we have something to eat before we go back home?" Bethany nodded to his suggestion and so he asked her to wait next to the air balloon while he informed the visitor center that they were ready for their dinner.
Courtesy of the show there had been a chef called in to make a special portion of porcini risotto for the couple and it was simply minutes away from being ready. While Bethany waited for Bobby to return she kicked her legs around lightly against the grass, creating a quiet rustling below her feet, and even picked some wildflowers that grew next to their landing site.
The bachelor emerged eventually and guided his date to a nearby outdoor dining table, perfect for a party of two, and pulled out a chair for his date. They both sat down and he poured them another glass of French nectar that he personally imported from Champs Les Sims, a reminder of their great journey they had only recently returned from.
From sunset came the night and the sky above them was a curious purple hue that grew into darkness with every minute that passed by. Dinner was served on darling white plates and placed on the table before them, a gentle steam escaping from the rice and a deliciously spiced smell filling their nostrils. Before they took their first bites Bobby made a simple toast to begin their meal,
"To us," he spoke calmly.
"To us," replied Bethany and they clinked their glasses.
The first few minutes of their meal were filled with sounds of approval to the meal, all signifying the taste being splendid as they chewed. Bobby washed the contents of his meal down with a sip of champagne and asked his date a question,
"I'm so glad you enjoyed our little excursion, could you have ever guessed you'd be going on a hot air balloon date with me today?"
"Not at all!" spoke Bethany enthusiastically and honestly. "I hadn't even known that air balloons were a thing here, I would have seen them when we were out by the pool in the villa!"
The pair spoke about their favourite sights that they spotted around the island and Bethany could swear she saw a dolphin leap out of the water at one point which Bobby playfully denied being a possibility. Once they were done their meals the bachelor slid a hand towards his date and held hers tightly, possibly the third time he held hands with her today.
It was unlike Bethany to be so calm and quiet for so long but he could see the passion in her eyes as they studied one another. By this point in their date she would have done something daring but perhaps the back touch was daring enough for her today. Nevertheless he decided to ask,
"What are you thinking about?"
"Hmm," thought Bethany, surprised by the type of question. "Well, firstly, just how handsome you are, even in the moonlight. Then how grateful I am to be with you all day today, with me all to myself." Suddenly there was a hesitation to say a secret third thing she was thinking and Bobby took notice, rubbing his thumbs like he did earlier in an attempt to calm her nerves.
"It's alright, you can say what's truly on your mind," he assured her with a soft tone. She melted in his eyes but couldn't help to look away as she said her next words,
"I'm afraid to go home tomorrow." It was undeniable that she would have this worry, Bobby would have been surprised if she didn't. There were only four girls left, including her, and after another girl goes home tomorrow they will be conducting the semi finals of the season.
"I'm afraid of picking someone to go home tomorrow," shared Bobby. Bethany's eyes darted back to his, longing for further explanation to his heart opening up.
"I still feel like I have so much more to learn about each of you and it feels unjust to say goodbye to someone when I'm uncertain if they are 'the one' for me..."
"How can I prove to you that I am 'the one', as you say," urgently asked Bethany, her other hand reaching over to hold his and leaning over the table. Bobby sighed and smiled, there she was coming out of her shell again.
"Come with me over there," he nodded in the direction of the medium sized oak tree, a ring of metal seating surrounding its trunk. "Let's sit and talk more there."
Checking in on the girls back in the villa the three contestants were winding down for the night. After a full day of chats in the sun, and some throwing of a football, they all had their dinners separately and some even committed to a soak in the tub to wash away any sweat accumulated from the sweaty weather.
Mary-Anne had some leftovers of a quiche they had from a few days ago and planned to lounge in bed with a book straight after and Rosie had a similar plan after she was fully relaxed after her essential oil bath. Pearl on the other hand didn't feel like she had enough of a sweat worked up today and so she went to the small gym they had on the ground floor and engaged in a decent cardio routine on the treadmill.
All was calm and all was sound, now back to our date between Bobby and Bethany. There was not much to shade under the tree but glimmers of the bright moon and stars shone between the foliage of the oak tree they sat under and the bachelor was quick to invite Bethany to cuddle up to him.
He extended his arm out and his date helped herself into a comfortable position into his side. It felt natural to be there and she looked up at him with hope, her eyes sparkling from the subtle flames in the lanterns that littered the ground not far from them.
"So what was it that you so eagerly asked me just minutes ago?" asked Bobby suggestively, the light smell of champagne on his breath. Bethany's hands had a mind of their own as she spoke up, one hand tracing a pattern on the jeans on his thigh.
"I asked you what I should do to prove to you that I am 'the one', as you called it."
"Ah, you did ask that, I had almost forgotten," teased Bobby. Realistically he didn't have an exact answer to her question and needed more time to think of what lukewarm answer he could provide for her.
"To be completely transparent, I have felt a spark for all of you so far but I think... it's what we both do with this spark that matters to me." He wasn't quite satisfied with this explanation after he had just whined about not knowing his contestants well enough but it sparked a quick idea in his date's mind.
"You mean something like this?" asked Bethany before she put her weight on Bobby's shoulders and leveraged herself into his lap. It was a surprise to him alright but he began to share the same titillating feeling that was brewing in Bethany's core also.
She was as light as one would think she would be with her figure, simply as light as a feather in the bachelor's arms. He held her close, his strong hands gripping onto her slender arms before she took one of his arms and guided it to rest on her thigh. Unholy thoughts brewed in the man's mind as his date was wearing a skirt, much left to imagination yet only one gesture away from pleasure, but he contained himself and focused on remaining civil and respectful by leaving his hand on her thigh.
Bethany placed her forehead on Bobby's and closed her eyes as she spoke, "I want to be connected to you, in more ways than one. I would write an endless amount of songs for you, sing in your name, follow where you wherever you go, as long as I stay next to you."
She sure knew how to romanticise and enamour a man and Bobby's heart only beat faster and she wasn't done with her statements, stroking the hairs on the back of his neck with every word, "I want to kiss you, cuddle you, be close to you, love you, adore you, be with you. I want to be Bethany Martin and I want to be your wife, I want you to choose me."
Whether it was because she was talking too much and Bobby couldn't handle the meaning and depth of her words or she had sirened him into this gesture through her poetry but he locked lips with her with a true spark. Both of their bodies felt electrified and their lips smacked passionately.
The hand on her thigh grazed her skin just under the seam at the end of her skirt but he restrained himself from going further instead he used his other arm to press her tighter against his chest and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Their heads tilted and the viewers saw some tongue action going on before it cut to a far away angle of the couple in the throes of their make out.
To them it felt like it lasted an hour but to us it was only five minutes, it was time to come up for air. They pulled away from each other and Bethany was ready to lean back into more but Bobby had to stop their actions.
"No more kissing," he pleaded. "I want to, trust me, I just know I won't be able to restrain myself further from your beauty." Bethany sighed but she understood.
"Gosh, why did this have to happen in a public space?" she whined, glancing around and spotting the camera crew surrounding her, eventually she looked down at her date. "It was fun while it lasted."
She slid down his thigh and back onto the cold metal where she once sat, kissing his cheek before nuzzling back under his arm. A little smirk crept onto her face that she had to bite her lip to make it go away, perhaps she had briefly felt something under her leg that signified the attraction that the bachelor had for her, or perhaps it was just his wallet in his pocket, she couldn't be sure.
The night had to end eventually and soon they stood up from their bench and faced each other. "I had an amazing day today, Bethany," began Bobby. "But I'm sure that you have surmised that I won't be giving out any flowers anymore so I can't guarantee your safety tomorrow."
Bethany nodded in understanding and her worries began to brew deep in her chest once more. Those worries quickly melted away as Bobby planted a soft kiss on her forehead before taking her hand in his for the last time for the night and leading her back to the car.
After a short ride home, some more hand holding as he steered the vehicle, they were back at the front door of the villa. They entered the foyer and bid each other a friendly goodbye, back to being respectfully distant around the other contestants. Bobby ascended the stairs and retreated to his room while Bethany shook off any excess nerves she accrued and decided she would take advantage of the personal spa facilities they had in the downstairs bathroom.
All of the necessary ingredients and remedies were stacked up nicely next to the sauna space and Bethany settled on a cool mud bath to relax in. She mixed the liquid and poured it into the black bath and changed into her usual swimwear, submerging herself with careful intention. There was a jar of fresh cucumber slices on a small shelf next to the bath and so she helped herself to two discs, placing them on her eyes and letting out a large sigh.
There was much to think and reflect about after today and Bethany's mind didn't know where to begin. She felt like her lips still tingled from the passionate kiss she shared with the bachelor and as much as her dramatic heart wanted it she wouldn't tell any of the girls what had transpired. She felt it would surmount to nothing as all of the contestants had already shared a kiss with him each.
Even amongst the muddy liquid she sat in she felt like she was still floating in the air and she giggled to herself when she thought of a joke: is this what it feels like to be on cloud nine? Bethany noted this line and considered writing it into a future song of hers. Once her thoughts were quelled she grew bored and slipped one of the discs of cucumber off of her eyes and crunched on it, quickly applying a new slice in the matter of seconds.
On the highest floor the bachelor was having a soak of his own in his personal bathroom. After giving himself a good scrub he leaned back and slid down into the warm, soapy water and watched the bubbles on the surface pop one by one. There was a pit in his stomach and he ridiculed himself in his mind for feeling that way after such a successful date. It was the fact that he would need to choose another girl to send home tomorrow that tore him up and to stop this feeling he fully submerged his head underwater for a minute.
He shot back up out of the water and inhaled a gulp of air, wiping the suds from his eyes and fixing his wet hair. He stared at different parts of his body and was reminded of the effect that Bethany had on him this evening; he could have easily taken the next step in their relationship but sitting in public was the only thing that stopped him. Could he ever send a girl home that made him feel this way?
Bobby pulled the stopper out and let the tub drain of water, rising up and fetching a towel to dry off. He still felt buzzed after the day and didn't feel much like sleeping so he went to the small boxing bag in his room and practiced some of his techniques, kicks and chops battering the stiff blue cylinder. He engaged in this for a good thirty minutes and only stopped once he felt like he somewhat worked up a sweat, not wanting to take a bath yet again.
Speaking of baths Bethany was still soaking in hers but was disturbed by the sound of a door swinging open. She took a cucumber and lifted it to peer at who may have entered the room and found Rosie closing the door behind her saying hello.
"May I join you here?" she asked politely. "I'll make a bit of steam with the sauna and just chill next to you."
"Why not?" said Bethany in a relaxed tone before closing her eye and placing back the cucumber in a restful position. "I was beginning to get lonely here so you came at a perfect time."
Rosie heated up the coals and sprayed some water on it to create a warm mist surrounding them. She really had come to rest up before bed but she couldn't help but pry on the date that Bethany had returned from in the last hour.
"So..." sang Rosie. "How was it?"
"Amazing," breathed Bethany. "He took me on a grand hot air balloon tour around Sunlit Tides!" Rosie gasped out of genuine surprise and clasped her hands.
"A hot air balloon?" she repeated. "That is so cool, I've never been in one before! Was it scary?"
"Neither had I! I was pretty terrified but tried my best to not show it until we got to the basket, my feet planted in the ground and I couldn't move them!" She lifted up the same cucumber again and turned to glance at Rosie. "But you know our bachelor, he took my hands and reassured me things would be okay... did you know he was a licensed hot air balloon... flier? Driver? You know what I mean."
"That man will forever surprise you," smiled Rosie. She then asked Bethany about more details of what they did afterwards and she was happy to gush about it but continued to stay quiet about their kiss. Rosie beat her to the punch however and asked in a childish sing-song way,
"Did you kiss?" Bethany stayed quiet and slipped off her second cucumber from her eye and made a loud crunching sound once again. "Answer the question!" teased Rosie playfully but Bethany only turned around and ate the last cucumber on her face, trying her best to hide her smile as she chewed.
"Fine, keep your secrets," smirked Rosie, giving her friend a wink before leaning back into her seat. Bethany was done with her mud bath and rose up out of it, draining the liquid and using a shower head to wash off anything that stuck to her skin.
"Are you heading to bed yet?" asked Rosie. Bethany shook her head,
"I've still got so much energy in me, I might just go to the karaoke machine for the fun of it... wanna join?"
"Me? Against you? Definitely not," chortled Rosie and so the ladies bid each other good night and went their separate ways.
The thought of the upcoming elimination still weighed on the bachelor's mind and one thing that Bobby has done ever since he was a little boy was look to the stars for answers. His mother taught him that a long time ago and although the stars did not spell out his perfect answer every time he always felt inspired to follow his heart after searching the skies.
So he approached the telescope that stood next to the large window in his bedroom and pointed it far into the night sky. He quickly found the north star and watched it twinkle and began to map out the constellation that it connected to. He wished he could look at the moon and study its craters but his room faced the opposite direction of where she had risen. The stars were plenty for him and he even created a game for himself.
He found some of the most recognisable stars in the sky and named each one after a contestant and stepped back from the telescope for a moment. Bobby took a deep breath and waved the telescope around before settling in a random position, peering in and seeing which star he could find first free hand and whichever one he would find first he wouldn't send the corresponding girl home.
A smirk was plastered across his face and he leaned against the large lens to space trying to contain his findings. When the camera crew questioned what he had concluded he wished to remain his results secret stating, "all will be revealed tomorrow," and so the production followed his wishes.
Rosie and Bobby settled into bed at almost the exact same time though floors and rooms apart. They both changed back into their comfortable sleepwear, flicked off the switch to the bedside lamps they each had and flopped their heads onto the soft pillows underneath them. Bobby's mind felt more at ease after his questioning of the stars while Rosie couldn't fall asleep straight away, the elimination lingering in her mind.
And Bethany did exactly what she sought out to do: use the karaoke machine. Although she felt like she was brimming with possibilities for some new songs she felt like entertaining herself to some of the greatest pop hits of the decade and so she picked a fun and energetic tune to bounce to and belt out. Thank goodness for soundproof walls as she gave it her all for her solo performance, her singing going far into the wee hours of the night.
And with that concludes out 12th episode of the Bachelor. Thank you so much for tuning in and you won't want to miss out on the next episode as we bid another contestant farewell... who might it be? Only Bobby could tell us. See you next time!
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