Rachel Lindsay's hometown date was a definite for The Bachelor star Nick Viall, and he knew that even before his one-on-one date with her in Bimini.
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Viall had a "roller coaster" of a day after sending a devastated Danielle Maltby home and then dealing with a late-night hotel room visit from Corinne Olympios, who was hoping to have sex with the Bachelor. So the following day, Viall was hoping to relax.
"I couldn't have been more excited about my date with Rachel. There is no denying how I feel when I'm with Rachel and just how much I enjoy being with her," Viall wrote in his People blog. "In a world where I'm constantly in my head, being with Rachel puts me at ease. Every moment is fun, relaxing, and full of chemistry."
Because Lindsay has just been announced as ABC's next The Bachelorette star, it's clear she's not the woman Viall selected at the end of his journey on the show. But fans are still unsure whether Viall eliminates Lindsay after hometowns, the Fantasy Suites or at the Final Rose Ceremony.
One thing is certain though: Viall was crazy about the 31-year-old Dallas attorney at this point in the season.
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"It was cool to take Rachel to a bar more commonly known by just the locals," Viall said of their short date in Bimini. "The bartender was one of the coolest guys that I had ever met. He shared so much history about Bimini as well as some pretty great life advice. I loved his line about needing Rachel not just wanting her."
Viall was thinking at the time maybe Lindsay could be the one he has a future with.
"I think he hit the nail on the head with that because I felt like Rachel and I continued to grow our connection with so much ease and excitement about what lay ahead," Viall wrote.
"I knew before going into that week that I had been wanting to meet Rachel's family during hometown dates."
Viall therefore attempted to prepare for his visit with Lindsay's loved ones during their time together, and that meant asking some serious questions -- including how the African-American beauty's family might react to a bi-racial romance and potential marriage.
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"When we spoke about the week that lay ahead, this was the first time we ever talked about race," Viall revealed. "To us, it never seemed to matter. But meeting her family was important to me and after our conversation, I knew that race would continue to be something secondary to the connection we had."
Lindsay has made headlines by becoming the franchise's first-ever black star after 21 seasons of The Bachelor and 12 editions of The Bachelorette on the air.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski