The Bachelorette star Charity Lawson has revealed why she decided to give Brayden Bowers the First Impression Rose, despite having received a warning about him earlier in the evening.
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On The Bachelorette's Season 20 premiere that aired Monday night on ABC, Charity's beloved older brother, Nehemiah Lawson, went "undercover" as a bartender in disguise -- complete with curly hair and a fake mustache -- to seek out the potential "dogs" or "bad apples" in the bunch.
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Nehemiah didn't discover anything alarming or disturbing while getting to know Charity's 25 bachelors on Night 1, but he did warn Charity that Brayden, a 24-year-old travel nurse from San Diego, CA, had been boastful and borderline arrogant about the pair's instant chemistry and steamy first kiss.
Despite Nehemiah's warning, Charity ended up giving Brayden the First Impression Rose, which appeared to shock the competition.
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"I kind of took [Brayden's bragging] as almost like a two-way street, like, 'Okay, Brayden is really excited and it could be crossing the line of, like, confident versus cocky.' But also, [it could be] him kind of falling back on [the fact] all the guys are also just like really excited to be here," Charity explained on Us Weekly's "Here for the Right Reasons" podcast.
"I was kind of considering that factor too of, maybe, that's why Brayden was so vocal -- because he was just so excited."
Charity said she tried to give Brayden the benefit of the doubt and not jump to conclusions about his character too early on.
And once Charity confronted Brayden about his questionable post-kiss behavior, the bachelor confirmed that he was just really excited about how the couple had hit it off right away.
"That's Brayden's personality, just someone who's very animated and just fun and lively, for sure," Charity claimed.
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The 27-year-old child and family therapist from Georgia added, "Brayden also got the First Impression Rose truly because he is a good kisser. I can say that... [But] he's one to keep your eye on."
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Sparks were definitely flying for Charity on Night 1 of filming at The Bachelor mansion in Los Angeles, and not just with Brayden.
Charity gushed on the premiere about feeling chemistry with multiple men -- including Joseph "Joey" Graziadei, who gave her "butterflies," and Xavier Bonner, whose kiss felt "too good to be true."
Charity also found herself smitten with the "smart and clever" Aaron Bryant, who had played the keyboard for Charity and spoke to her about fate bringing them together.
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"Aaron B., he is a charmer. He is here for me, and that makes me feel really good. It's honestly a feeling I haven't felt in a minute," Charity said on the show.
Charity admitted on Us' podcast that Aaron B.'s ego was "truly bruised" when he didn't receive the First Impression Rose.
"But that's all right!" Charity assured Aaron B. fans out there.
Charity also revealed which men came close to winning that first rose over Brayden.
"I think if it wasn't Brayden, I definitely had my eye on [Warwick Reider]," Charity shared.
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"His limo entrance was ideal. I was like, 'Oh my goodness.' I loved the little one-way ticket to his hometown [in Ohio]. I thought that was so cute. And he was somebody that really captivated my attention."
Charity then reiterated how she had "a really great conversation" with Aaron B. as well as Xavier.
"So, yeah! Any of those [the first rose] could have went to, but ultimately, I decided to give the First Impression Rose to Brayden," Charity said.
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And while Charity didn't take her brother's advice about Brayden too seriously, she insisted that having Nehemiah around on Night 1 was a huge bonus.
"Me and my brother, obviously, are super close, and having him there Night 1 was so helpful. He clearly got to see a lot that I did not," Charity said with a laugh.
"But I think he really did remind me in that moment -- in our conversation, obviously it wasn't all shown -- but he did just reassure me that all the guys, or most of the guys, were truly there for me and they were really excited about me being the Bachelorette and this opportunity for them to really get to know me."
Charity concluded, "So that made me feel good in the moment despite coming off of, like, 'Oh, Brayden was really vocal around the house with the guys about the kiss.'"
Charity narrowed down her pool of bachelors from 25 guys to 19 men by the end of the first Rose Ceremony.
Charity eliminated Ahmad "Khalid" Hassan, Christopher "Chris" Spell, Joe Menzia, Nicholas "Nic" Barber, Peter Cappio, and Taylor Pegg.
"I feel confident that my husband is inside of that room," Charity teased after meeting her Season 20 suitors.
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RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
Click here to read The Bachelorette spoilers for Charity's season, including which bachelors made it all the way to the end.
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