Reality Check - Page 32/53

Lisa. She accepted the rose.

He could see the dejection on the faces of Maria, Amber and Kayla and the relief in the eyes of Courtney and Melissa. He explained to them why they did not get the rose. They understood and wished him best of luck in his search.

The ten remaining ladies toasted to moving on to the next round. Tomorrow was the first of the one-on-one dates. The competition was starting to pick up.

At breakfast, Chris came in and handed each of the ten ladies a packet. Inside was a test. Brian liked ladies with intelligence. The top two scores would each receive a one-on-one date. They were given ninety minutes to complete the test.

There were math questions, history questions, and current event questions. After the time limit had expired, Chris gathered the packets to be graded.

After lunch, the top two scores were announced, with the top score getting the one-on one date tonight. The second best score went to Christa. The highest score, and winner of that night's date, was McKenna.

She was told to dress casual. She knew this could be her chance to make a lasting impression.

Brian met her at the limo and helped her inside. He also placed her wheelchair into the trunk. They were on their way to see the Lakers play the Heat. Brian was a big Lakers fan.

Security led them to their luxury box at the Staples Center. Dinner was prepared. They discussed how life was for her before the accident and after. At the end of the third quarter, the Kiss Cam put them on the Jumbotron. At the fans' request, they shared their first kiss. The crowd cheered wildly. The Lakers won on a buzzer beater by Kobe Bryant.

The next day was a group date. Julie, Lisa, Caitlin and Sage went on this date. They went to Sunset Ranch Hollywood for a horseback riding excursion.

They rode through Griffith Park to the highest peak in the park, Mt. Hollywood. The view of Los Angeles from the peak was incredible.

Along the route, he took time to ride beside each lady for some one-on-one time, to get to know them better.

His connection with Caitlin was growing with each date. As they rode, he stretched out his hand. Upon contact, a charge ran down his back.

Julie saw this and rode up between them. She wanted her time. Caitlin was upset, but she didn't want Brian to see that. Julie saw this as a time to put her plan in motion.

She turned on the charm and told Brian what she thought he wanted to hear. He bought into it for now.