The Bachelor star Nick Viall has opened up about why Rachel Lindsay was more than deserving of his First Impression Rose.
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On Monday night's premiere of The Bachelor, Nick had to decide which bachelorette earned the coveted First Impression Rose after a night of meaningful conversations -- with 26 of the season's 30 bachelorettes due to time constraints, according to Nick -- memorable first impressions and quirky introductions.
"Before I got to the Rose Ceremony, I had to first decide whom I would be giving the First Impression Rose to and was curious as to how I would decide who to give the rose to," Nick wrote in his People blog.
"I suppose I was hoping that it would almost seem obvious to me -- someone would just stand out and I would feel like there was an obvious choice, and that's kind of how it happened."
Nick gave the special rose to Rachel, a 31-year-old attorney from Dallas, TX, meaning she wouldn't have to endure waiting for a rose at the season's first official Rose Ceremony when Nick narrowed down his love search to 22 women.
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"I had so many wonderful conversations that night and there was no shortage of great first impressions," Nick admitted.
"I certainly felt the chemistry that [Vanessa Grimaldi] felt between us, [Alexis Waters] had me laughing out loud, [Corinne Olympios] held nothing back, and [Danielle "Lo" Lombard] was gorgeous in that dress."
Just as a reminder, Alexis rocked the shark costume but claimed she was a dolphin, Corinne planted the first big kiss of the season on Nick, and Danielle wore an incredibly low-cut black dress showing off her cleavage.
"Despite all that, the connection I had with Rachel felt unlike any other that evening," Nick revealed.
"It was crazy just how easy it was to be myself around Rachel. As cliched as it sounds, it was like we had known one another for years, but she still took my breath away."
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Nick anticipated Rachel's reaction because he also once received the First Impression Rose from Season 10 The Bachelorette star Andi Dorfman; however, the compliment comes at a price.
"I know what it's like... and as great a feeling as it was, there is no denying it came with a little target on my back. I felt confident that Rachel had the maturity and class to handle all that came with receiving that first rose," Nick explained.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski