“The Bachelorette” Charity Lawson continued for a second week to find love.  She had a great first date that left her feeling very hopeful about the whole reality dating show process.  Out of the twenty-five men that Charity started with last week, 19 men were left this week.  Before Charity went on her first date, the men were at the mansion reflecting on the first night’s events.

Last week it was Brayden who got the First Impression Rose after boasting about his first kiss with Charity in front of her brother who was in disguise as a bartender.  Charity gave him much cause to stress about it.   But, ended-up surprising all the men (Brayden included) when she decided to give Brayden the First Impression Rose.  Well, it’s a new week and again Brayden has another snag with Charity to have much concern about which comes up at the end of the episode.

Also, this week, Adrian emerges as the “bestie” who’s tipping Charity off with all the tea going-on in the house.  She seems to be here for it and even asks him to name names, which he didn’t do.  AND then there’s also a major kiss that takes place between Charity and Joey!  Keep reading…

THE FULL RUN DOWN:

At the top of the show, “The Bachelorette” host Jesse Palmer announced that there would be 2 group dates and one, one-on-one romantic date this week.  He left the first date card with the men.  It was a one-on-one date.  

THE ONE-ON-ONE DATE:

The card read:  “Aaron B., let’s build a love that lasts a century.”  Speaking to Aaron B’s character, later in the episode, Aaron S. says that he’s glad that someone like Aaron B. got the one-on-one date because he’s there for the right reasons.

Brayden quickly realized that the First Impression Rose was not as good as getting one-on-one time with Charity as he watched her ride off with Aaron B in a classic red mustang car.  All the guys were jealous.  

Charity and Aaron went to the Hollywood sign and made a toast to the sign being 100 years.  For Charity, she said the sign symbolized how she’s out to find an ever lasting (life-long) relationship much like what her parents have who’ve been married for 48 years.  Charity said that the love of her parents is something she wants to recreate.  Aaron also comes from two parents who have been together for a long time.

Aaron told Charity that he hasn’t felt a spark with someone in a long time.  In her confessional interview, Charity said feelings for Aaron B. had developed overnight.  Aaron and Charity walked to the letters of the Hollywood sign.  That’s when Aaron pulled out his “lucky” coin for a flip, just as he’d done twice on night one.  Then he revealed that the coin is a two-headed coin!  It was surprising that Charity hadn’t caught on to that sooner!

The two ended their date inside an old, classic theater to have dinner.  Aaron B. opened-up to Charity that he went to therapy during his last four-year relationship.  He noted that he felt that it was easy to share with Charity. Side note – maybe because Charity majored in mental health counseling! 

Charity told Aaron B. that she credits “The Bachelor ” Zach Shallcross to her being her best self now.  Aaron said he typically puts walls up, but with Charity it was easy to let them down. *Againg, maybe because Charity majored in mental health counseling!

Back at the house:  The men were all waiting for Aaron B. to come back from his date.  Then, the second date card arrived.  It read:  Datun, Tanner, Adrian, John, Caleb A, Caleb B., Kaleb K., Xavier, James, Sean, Aaron S, Brayden.  The card read: “The sun’s out, buns out.” – Charity.

Back to Charity & Aaron B.–  After dinner, Charity had a surprise for Aaron B., singer Lauren Alaina serenaded the couple while they slow-danced.  Charity loved that Aaron B. isn’t afraid to express that he has feelings for her. She gave him the date rose. 

THE FIRST GROUP DATE:

The men met Charity at the beach.  They started off the date by playing football in the sand.  Then, out of the blue, Jesse arrived to tell the men that they would be competing in a head-to-head dodgeball game.  Basically, a “Dodge Bowl.”  The winning team would go to the after party, and the losing team, back to the mansion.  

Then worse news, they men had to play in tiny, bikini bottoms.  Sportscaster Liz Habib co-hosted the Dodge Bowl with Jesse and Charity. They played best of four games.  It was the Pink Team vs the Green Team. The Pink Team won after Adrian was the last man standing on the Green team and attempted to get Xavier out.  But, before that, Caleb B. had a lot of great strategies in the game that got him very close to the end of the game.

Adrian ended up being voted MVP by Charity even though his team lost.  Caleb B. who was also on his team, was disappointed that it wasn’t him.  Charity took the Pink team and Adrian to the after party.

THE AFTER PARTY:

Brayden said he didn’t think that Adrian deserved the MVP award.  During his alone time with Charity, Bryden told her that he’s “crushing” on her.  They kissed again.  Brayden compared it to a “movie moment’ and thought he was her number one pick.

John told Charity that he played professional basketball.  Charity said she’s also competitive from her past professional cheerleading experience. They also kissed.  Brayden was telling the men that he wanted the group date rose.  Adrian said it’s about the validation that Charity wants to learn more about them.
Brayden told Adrian that he wouldn’t have picked him as MVP and pointed out that Caleb B. performed very well.  Adrian was annoyed by Caleb’s attitude and he talked to Charity next.

SPRING BREAKERS?

Adrian told Charity that he made sacrifices to be there.  One, is that he has a daughter.  Charity told him that she respects him so much for being there.  Adrian said he’s thinking about his daughter, and the guys are playing games…”like Spring Break.” He said it’s not a vacation for him.  

Charity asked Adrian to perhaps point some people out.  His response was that she’s smart and she’ll figure it out.  Charity gave it a lot of thought before giving out the Group Date rose. Charity confronted the men that she’s not into any antics if they look at this as Spring Break. Charity gave the rose to John.

Adrian’s strategy did not work in attempting to get the group date rose.  John said what Charity said wasn’t meant for him.  Adrain said “you know who you are.  It’s time to get serious if you’re not serious.”

THE SECOND GROUP DATE:

Previous Bachelorettes Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia met Charity before the men arrived for her date.  Gaby told Charity that there’s going to be an audience, and men!  The men on the group date were:  John Henry, Warwick, Spencer, Joey, Josh, and Michael.

Gabby and Rachel announced to the men and the audience that they were looking for the man with the most chemistry with Charity.  Whoever it is, they’d have the opportunity to break the record of having the longest kiss in Bachelor history!  The record was previously set by Sean Lowe and Lesley which is a 3 minute and 27 seconds kiss.

Most of the men stated that it’s not how they imagined their first kiss would be with Charity.  But, before that kiss the men had to work for it by answering some honest questions.  The person who Charity said “stood out the most” was Joey!

Pictured: CHARITY LAWSON, JOEY / Photo by ABC/Craig Sjodin

Their kiss ended-up lasting 4 minutes and 25 seconds thus, blowing Sean Lowe’s record in the water!   The other guys were not thrilled about having to watch them. Then, it was announced that Joey ALSO won a one-on-one date with Charity happening later that night. The men were over it! 

Next, the men arrived back to the mansion early.  John Henry told the guys who were waiting at the house about the unfortunate turn of events.  Brayden said to sit there and watch a girl you’re dating kiss someone else, he felt they were disrespected.  Brayden was seriously considering packing his bags and going home.

Joey & Charity:  Charity said she loved that he was happy to be there and loved how he kept looking at her earlier in the date.  Joey shared with Charity that his parents broke up because his dad came out as gay when he was in kindergarden.

His parents still had love for each other and were still great parents to him and his siblings. He said his dad is someone whom he talks to about everything.  Charity gave Joey the date rose.  

Back at the mansion the next day: Jesse told the men that there won’t be a Cocktail Party, but instead a bar-b-cue party!

THE BAR-B-CUE PARTY:

Duton shared with Charity that he’s serious about being there and showed her a keepsake that he brings with him everywhere.  It was his photo on a passport of him when he was four-years-old.

Tanner also told Charity he’s there to find his person.  Sean showed Charity a move on playing golf.  Brayden prepared himself to go home if he didn’t hear what he wanted to hear from Charity.

Brayden took Charity to the side to talk in private.  He told her that he felt “so bad for those guys” when he heard what happened.  He told her that he was ready to run away.  Charity said she felt sad about it to know that she made any guys feel that way.

Brayden told her that he’s glad that they got a chance to talk about it.  Charity liked that Brayden was vulnerable and opened-up.  She said honesty is what anyone should always lead with.   When Adrian talked to Charity, he addressed his “Spring Break” comment to apologize for it weighing on her so much.

Charity appreciated him telling her. “I want to know what is immature to you…or what you have seen in the house.”  He said lack of emotional intelligence.  Then brought up that Brayden invalidated Josh’s feelings after he got back from the group kissing date.  Adrian told Charity that Brayden called her “classless.”  Of course, Charity was upset because Brayden is a strong connection.

Jesse told the men that Charity left the party early because she found out some upsetting information.  She’d see them later at the Rose Ceremony.  The men were upset that Adrian was the last guy to talk to Charity and was running his mouth.  He was clearly responsible for Charity being upset. 

THE ROSE CEREMONY:

Charity told the men that she’s doing “what’s best and it doesn’t take away” from any of them at all.

Roses went to: Dotun, Tanner, Caleb B., Warwick, Michael, Sean, Xavier, Aaron S., James, Adrian, Brayden.  Date roses from earlier went to: Joey, Aaron B., John

Men who went home:  Kaleb K., John Henry, Josh, Spencer, Caleb 

NEXT WEEK:  The group date plays some baseball.  Brayden gets a date rose.  Then, Aaron B. is spreading some tea.  He said “I’m trying to advance my position.’  Then Charity is talking about taking a rose back and grabs Aaron B.