Seinne Fleming was one bachelorette with whom The Bachelor star Arie Luyendyk Jr. could really envision a happily-ever-after ending.
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"I chose Seinne for [a] one-on-one because, leading up to this point, she was one of the most intriguing women," Arie wrote in his People blog when reflecting back on his week of dates in Lake Tahoe, Nevada.
"I was impressed with her travels, a little intimidated by her ivy-league education, and totally mesmerized by her beauty. Seinne's date card read, 'Let our love soar,' and I was hoping to make a good impression."
For the day portion of their date, Arie and Seinne went parasailing as jealous bachelorettes watched through binoculars from a distance.
"Not going to the lake on my first day in Tahoe would be a crime, so that was a must. Not only was I excited to take Seinne with me, but I've never parasailed before," he said.
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"For those of you who haven't been, I highly recommend it -- it is wild! I'm pretty active in my personal life; other than racing, I love to cliff-jump, off-road, and rarely say no to an adventure."
Arie revealed, "Having Seinne by my side made this first experience parasailing really special. And can I share a secret with you guys: I was slightly terrified (our secret, don't tell anyone, okay? Thanks), but Seinne was fearless; she was present in the moment, which helped me let go."
Arie and Seinne floated hundreds of feet above the lake together, and the sweet bachelorette compared the experience to flying.
"We were so small in this huge landscape, but my feelings for her felt like they were starting to match the moment. Once our boat reeled us back in, we hopped out onto a remote beach for a picnic," Arie wrote.
"Conversation is always easy with Seinne. I've found that in this world, that isn't always the case -- sometimes we can put too much pressure on ourselves or maybe nerves take over."
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Such a circumstance happened to Lauren Schleyer, who got eliminated in a previous episode because she found herself guarded, nervous and uncomfortable in her own skin during her first one-on-one date with Arie. Luckily, Seinne approached her solo date with the Bachelor differently.
"I had a small fear that could happen again, but it was clear from the start of our date that it wouldn't be the case with Seinne," Arie admitted.
"Going into dinner that night I wanted to know more about her past and what she wanted for her future. When she told me about growing up not seeing happy endings with women like herself, it broke my heart a little."
Seinne shared with Arie how her parents didn't have a healthy marriage and she's never really seen a fairy-tale love story play out for a woman of color. Seinne had resigned herself to thinking the dream of finding true love in an uber-romantic way like The Bachelor was not possible for someone like her.
"Seinne is a woman who has seen a lot of heartbreak and disappointment, but she is a person who deserves an amazing love story, the kind you see in big colorful Disney movies where the local wildlife help you with your dress," Arie wrote in his blog.
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"In that moment sitting together, I knew the future was uncertain -- but I felt really strongly that we were building a foundation to lead us to that happy ending, maybe I'd be that prince holding the glass slipper at the end of this."
Arie and Seinne's date ended with a Lanco concert, and Arie said the couple fed off the energy of the crowd as they danced together, but "none of that matched the excitement I had for Seinne."