The next day was Sunday, and there was nothing scheduled. Some women got up to go to church while most enjoyed the extra time to sleep. I was one of those who opted for extra sleep, and as luck would have it, I managed to stay in bed til almost 11:00. It felt fantastic. As much I wanted to see Harry all the time, I was so thankful for the promise of a slow day. 

I took a leisurely shower, taking the time to shave everything that needed to be shaved, after which I moisturized and polished - fingers and toes. I was getting into some of this girly stuff. I mean, I always shaved my legs before, but the nail-painting and moisturizing weren't always high on my priority list.

When I left the bathroom, Brittany and Ariana were just waking up. I was so glad that neither of them had been sent home. "Good morning, Chicas!" I cheered. "We're still in the running." 

"Yeehaaa!" Brittany shouted, bounding out of bed. Ariana just giggled at her while she yawned and stretched. 

"So, can you believe that he kept Dove?" Brittany asked dramatically.

"Well, yes and no," I said. "I mean, she's a real bitch, but you know if they let someone like her go too early, the show will be boring because the rest of us love each other so much." 

"What do you mean they?" Ariana asked. "Harry makes the decisions, right?" 

"Of course," Brittany answered. "But the producers can nudge him a little if he's on the fence about someone. They care more about making the show interesting than about Harry actually finding love." 

"Aww, that's so sad," Ariana pouted.

"Well, we know Harry, and he won't let the producers stand in the way of finding his true love," I reasoned. 

"And thank goodness Allison is gone," I said. "I'm not trying to be rude, I just think Harry needs someone with a bit more intellect."

Brittany rolled her eyes. "You're too nice. If they could put stupid in a package and sell it in a store, Allison's face would be on the label." 

Ariana and I both cracked up laughing, in spite of ourselves. I didn't like to think of myself as a judgmental person, but sometimes, people's shortcomings were a little more obvious than others.

The day was laid back and enjoyable, with some women hitting the pool again, some playing games in the rec room, some watching movies, and a few slept some more. By bedtime that night, I had all but forgotten my nerves from the past two days and I slept like a baby. 

Monday morning, we were back at it, getting up early, dressing in casual clothes while trying to look gorgeous, knowing some of us would likely be heading out on a group date with Harry. We sat waiting in that same sitting room, pretending to be discussing some really interesting things, all for the sake of the cameras. Sometimes the producers would feed us a topic to talk about so we didn't have awkward or dull moments in the conversation.

Before long, a knock sounded at the door. I jumped up to get it because I hadn't opened a date card yet. I took the white envelope, tore it open and read it aloud to all the women.

"Dove, Brittany,  Sara,  Harper, Victoria, and Lucy." My heart smiled a little when I read my name. "With six beautiful women at my side, nobody can drag me down. Love, Harry." 

"Wow, maybe you're going to NASA!" Jamie said excitedly. "That's where they shot the Drag Me Down video!" 

"Yes, that would be awesome!" Lucy said.

It turned out that our group date was kind of space-related but it wasn't quite NASA. We flew to Seattle and met Harry at the Space Needle. My dad and I always talked about going, but we never had, so this was exciting for me. Once Harry had greeted all of us, he walked ahead with Brittany and Sara, while Lucy and Dove hung back a little, not far from Victoria and me.

"What is it with this man's obsession with heights?" Dove grumbled. Harry flinched a little and I was pretty certain he had heard that. 

"At least this is enclosed," I said. "I can see how ziplining in the trees can seem less secure." 

"Well, I just hope that one of these days, we can go somewhere civilized," she said in her characteristically snooty voice. 

"Seattle is an awesome city," I argued, trying to keep my voice down. "What's uncivilized about it?"

"Blech, it's just so common," she replied. 

"And what cities do you prefer?" I asked, already knowing Paris would be on the list.

"London, Paris, Milan, New York, Beverly Hills. I mean Harry has the means to take us to any of those destinations. Why is he dilly-dallying in these...common places." 

I stopped and faced her. "First of all, I'm insulted that you just called all of us common, because I'm pretty sure most of us appreciate these dates. Second, if Harry enjoys these things, how do you still think you're so compatible if you're just tolerating them to be with him?" 

"Well, he's probably dumbing it down for the rest of you, but I happen to know that he's a man of good taste. High fashion, gourmet dining - those things are much more his speed than swinging in trees like a caveman."

"You're unbelievable," I spat and just walked away. 

The Observation Deck was actually a little intimidating. It still didn't bother me, but I could understand how it would be scary for someone with a fear of heights. The outer "walls," which were more like fences, leaned out a little for a better view of the ground, so that made it all the more unnerving.

Most of us scrambled for the coin-operated binoculars, hoping to see some of the city up close or to catch sight of what was out beyond Seattle. I was looking out across Elliott Bay when I felt Harry's breath close to my ear, accompanied by his low voice. "Having fun?" 

"This is awesome," I said, not looking away from the binoculars right away. But when he placed a kiss on my ear, I turned my head to see if anyone else was around. He took advantage of his closeness and placed a small kiss on my lips. I responded, but only briefly. Then I pulled away and looked around for any sign of the others.

He knew exactly what I was thinking because he said, "They're all on the other side." 

"Yes, well, I'm the one who has to live with those women, and if they see us kissing on a group date, it might not be very pleasant for me back at the mansion."

"True," he said. "I guess I'll have to steal you away to somewhere more private later on." 

"I won't resist," I said with a smile.

Dove and Sara came around the corner just then and I was very thankful they hadn't seen our kiss. Harry left my side and accompanied them into the center of the building to check out the SkyPad, a 20-foot long interactive wall with hundreds of touch screens to explore the Space Needle and Seattle more thoroughly. I went inside to join them since the wall had caught my interest on the way in. I went to the virtual guest book, which had been counting the number of visitors since the Space Needle opened in the 60's. I entered my name and where I was from and it showed that I had traveled 752.4 miles to be there. It was kind of neat to have my name join those of millions of people from all around the world. 

I heard Dove and Harry talking about some Seattle trivia and once again, it seemed almost like there was a normal side to her that many hadn't seen. I guess I could understand why Harry chose to have her stay if she had moments of normalcy like this one. And she was very pretty, too. When she wasn't snarling, at least. I found it odd that sometimes I was rooting for the other women when I knew that I wanted to be the winner.

After the Space Needle, we went to Pike Place, where we entered the loud Fish Market, famous for flying fish. Not actual flying fish, mind you, but fish that were being thrown about by the staff, sometimes sailing over customers' heads as the fishmongers shouted over the crowd. When they spotted Harry, they hollered and asked, "Harry, think you can catch a fish?"

"Of course!" He yelled back. One of the fishmongers came to him and gave him a few tips on how to catch one without dropping it. He caught one on the first try, and we all cheered for him. 

As one camera zoomed in on Harry's triumphant face, I couldn't help but think about watching all this footage after the fact. I hoped that we would have access to more of the videos than just what was shown on TV. I was having a marvelous time, but there was so much going on all the time, that I knew I'd miss some of it.

"What's your name?" Harry asked the guy who had thrown the fish to him.

"Randy," he replied. 

"Okay, Randy, after I throw this back, I'd like each of these girls to have the pleasure of catching a fish." 

"Woo!" I shouted happily but none of the other girls shared my enthusiasm. I just laughed at myself in embarrassment. 

Harry threw the fish back to Randy, and said, "Okay, Harper wants to go first." 

"I'm ready," I agreed with a big, cheesy grin.

Harry stood beside me and the other fishmonger, whose name was Felix, stood on my other side. I guess they were afraid I was going to drop the fish, which was already dead, so I didn't see why it mattered, except that maybe paying customers wouldn't want a dented fish. Randy picked up a rather large salmon - larger than the one he'd thrown to Harry - and started making the mouth move like it was talking. Then he sent the fish sailing through the air and it landed perfectly in my hands. 

"Yes!" I screeched, jumping around, showing off my trophy. 

Felix took the honor of throwing it back while Harry recruited the next fish catcher. "Dove? You're next."

I watched closely, curious to see what she would do. She simply shook her head and said quietly, "I don't want to touch a fish. I can't even stand the smell in here." 

Harry didn't push it and moved on to Victoria. "Ready?" He asked.

"Hell yeah!" She laughed.

Victoria, Brittany, and Lucy all caught the fish, and Sara almost had it but then it slipped down her front, leaving a smelly salmon trail down her whole body. Mental note, do not hang out with Sara for the rest of the day. 

Finally, Harry approached Dove again. "Come on, I'll help you." She resisted a little but eventually accepted his help. "That's my girl," he said and I could see that it made her smile. 

Harry stood right behind her, while Randy sent the fish flying. Dove barely raised her hands and flinched at the oncoming fish. Harry reached over her shoulders and caught it, and then Felix raised Dove's hand to make it look like she had caught it and everyone laughed. 

"See?" Harry said. "That wasn't so bad, was it?" She shook her head in relief and smiled shyly at him.

I swear, Harry could make any situation seem not only tolerable, but fun. It would be amazing to build a life with him. But it was hard to concentrate on that possibility when I was on a date with him and five other women. Things like this didn't happen in the real world. It was definitely ... different.

Next, we began a "food tour" of Seattle, seeing that it was lunch time. Harry's bodyguards accompanied us into the crowd, because there was no reserving an entire open air market just for us. There were also several producers and other show personnel creating a perimeter around us, keeping a keen eye out for papps. I was sure they didn't want anything - true or otherwise - to surface online about The World's Most Eligible Bachelor before it was aired.

Sadly this also meant that Harry was not allowed to stop and greet fans or get pictures with them, and I could see that bothered him. He wasn't one to say no to fans because he knew it was because of them that he had a job. I suppose it was a little freeing for him as well, so he could focus on the six girls he was with. 

On our walking tour, we sampled fresh gourmet sausages handcrafted by a German butcher, fruit and Nutella crepes, Mexican street tacos, and an Indian yogurt-based drink called Lassi. Those were just a few of the foods we tried, and although it felt like we should all be bursting at the seams by the end of the walking tour, I guess we had avoided some weight gain by the fact that we kept moving. I just felt sorry for the camera crew, having to lug all that heavy equipment with us as we explored and tasted the city. 

We ended the tour at a place called "Local Color," which was an art gallery and coffee house. A collective sigh rolled through the group as we sat down in the air conditioning to finally relax. The smell of coffee was tempting, but most of us opted for the iced version or other cold drinks. Seattle in July proved to be quite steamy. Once we had had a little time to cool down, Ben stood to address us. "It wouldn't be a group date without a little competition. So, ladies, you will divide yourselves into two teams of three."

Thinking quickly, I jumped into a group with Victoria and Brittany, which left Dove, Sara and Lucy in the other group.  

Ben resumed his instructions. "We have a Seattle trivia quiz for you. Each team will be given a buzzer." He handed one to each of us and showed us how they worked. It wasn't rocket science. "Once the question is read, if someone on your team knows the answer, hit the buzzer. The first team to hit it will be able to answer the question first. If their answer is right, they get one point. If it's wrong, the other team has a chance to answer and get the point. Does everyone understand?" After a quick yes from all of us, he told us that Harry would be asking the questions. Obviously he knew that we all had a fetish with his deep, melodic and British voice.

Harry took a seat on a stool in front of us and asked, "Are you ready?" 

"Yes!" We shouted in unison.

"All right. Question number one - What is unique about the restaurant at the top of the Space Needle?" 

Dove's team slammed the buzzer before Harry even finished the answer. "It spins around!" All three yelled together.

"That's correct," Harry said. One of the shop employees had written the groups on a white board. She made a hash mark under Dove's team.

"What is the name of Seattle's public market that is famous for its seafood?"This time I slammed my finger onto the buzzer before Dove's team could. Harry laughed and said, "You ladies are aggressive! What's your answer?" 

"Pike Place," Victoria and I said simultaneously.

"A point for Harper's team," Harry called to the girl who was keeping score. "Moving on, Name a coffee company, besides Starbucks, that is based in Seattle."

Both groups hesitated, but then Victoria pressed the button confidently. "Seattle's Best Coffee, duh." 

Harry laughed and another hash mark was made for our team.

The game went on with both teams neck and neck for almost the whole competition. We were coming down to the last few questions, and the tension was high. It was clear that both teams wanted this badly, but I was determined to win.

Harry read the question. "What two toppings are served on a Seattle-style hot dog?" 

"Oohhh!" Lucy shouted, slamming the buzzer with her finger. "Cream cheese and onions!" 

We had all sampled that particular dish, with different reactions from everyone. I thought it was pretty tasty, Brittany and Sara seemed to love it as well, Victoria and Lucy thought it was all right, but Dove turned her nose up at it, not even willing to take a bite. Ungrateful bitch. 

Harry continued, shouting out the remaining questions rapidly, with us firing back answers as quickly as we could. "What kind of fish is Pike Place Fish Market best known for throwing around?

"Salmon!" I shouted.

"What is Ezells famous for?" 

"Fried Chicken!" Brittany yelled in her best southern accent.

"What is Ivar's best known for?" 

Sara pushed the buzzer but then stuttered, "Oh, oh, oh I know this." And then at the last second, "Clam chowder!" burst from her lips.

"All right," Harry said calmly. "Ladies, this is the last question and the teams are tied. For the win, for what event was the Space Needle constructed, and for a bonus point, in what year?" 

I think I might have broken the buzzer button by slamming it down so hard while I hollered, "The World's Fair in 1962!" 

"That is correct!" Harry cheered and the three of us got up and hugged each other, jumping up and down like little kids. 

I only glanced momentarily at the other team and they were not happy. Obviously. I wouldn't have been either. But I was very happy in that moment that I had spent a chunk of time on the SkyPad, reading about the Space Needle's history. Otherwise, I would never have had a clue about that last question. 

Harry said good-bye to the other team and hugged them warmly. Then Ben ushered them out to a waiting vehicle.

"Well, then," Ben said, coming back in. "Ladies, you have a little time to freshen up. The limo will take you to your hotel to do just that, and then you'll meet up with Harry again a little bit later." 

We had a good two hours at the hotel to shower, change and eat, not that any of us were particularly hungry after gorging ourselves on Seattle's best eats for most of the day. Of course, there was plenty of wine and champagne in the room for us to partake in, if we so desired. And we did so desire. I was seriously building up a tolerance for booze, which was both good and bad. I was going to have to keep the stuff stocked in my apartment at all times.

After our little break, the limo picked us up and dropped us once again in front of the Space Needle. "Wonder what we're doing here again," I said as we approached the entrance. 

Ben was standing there and said, "Harry wanted you to see the night-time view. It's much different than the day time. He's already waiting on the observation deck." We took the elevator up and a collective gasp left all our mouths as the elevator door opened. There stood Harry looking absolutely dashing.

"Good evening, ladies," he said smoothly. "Welcome back." 

He greeted us each with a hug and then led us to the outer deck, where another gasp escaped all of us at the stunning view of Seattle's night-time skyline. 

"Isn't it fantastic?" Harry asked and we all hummed in agreement. After more viewing through the binoculars and taking in just about every angle possible, Harry led us back inside where there were cozy chairs set up and candles flickering on the table in the center. Of course, there was a bottle of champagne and four filled glasses as well. We each took one as we sat down to relax. For a while, we made small talk and discussed our adventures of the day. 

"What was your favorite part of the day?" Harry asked, taking a sip from his glass.

Victoria said the ice cream at Molly Moon was her favorite and Brittany said she thought the trivia game was a lot of fun.

I thought for a bit and said, "I can't choose. I mean this is pretty cool - the Space Needle in general, as well as being here with all of you."

"Kiss up," Brittany teased and I just made a goofy face back at her, which had Harry laughing. I was glad tonight seemed so easy, just the three of us hanging out with Harry, not necessarily competing for his attention.

That is, until Brittany stood up and extended her hand to Harry. "Can we go for a little walk?" She asked. He stood and followed her, so Victoria and I were alone for a bit, which was fine. We were getting to know each other pretty well, so I was comfortable in her company. One camera crew stayed put while Terrence followed Harry and Brittany. 

When Harry and Brittany came back, after about half an hour, Victoria jumped up. "My turn," she said, dragging him away again. 

Brittany just sat back and downed her glass of champagne. She followed with a happy sigh. "I think I'm in love with him," she said dreamily.

"You're not the only one," I replied. 

She sat up a little more and asked, "Do you really think you're in love already? I mean, I'm kind of half-kidding, but I could totally see myself marrying him."

"I don't think it's love yet, but I'm definitely smitten," I said and Brittany giggled at my choice of words. "What?" I asked, not getting what was so funny.

"I just always thought that word was strange," she said. "Smitten. It's just...I don't know. It rhymes with kitten." She laughed some more.

"Great observation skills," I teased. "Some words are just like that." 

We had a little lighthearted banter going until Victoria came back with Harry. I had to make a quick decision - pull him away again, or give him time to hang with all of us again. He looked at me expectantly, so I stood up and led him away without a word. We went around to the other side of the deck, still indoors, to a loveseat, purposely set there for us to spend some one-on-one time. 

Harry sat down, and I was surprised when he pulled me onto his lap. I sat across his legs and wrapped my arms around his shoulders to keep myself steady.  

"Are you having a good time?" He asked, his voice suddenly very low and rough. 

"The best," I said, offering him a tender smile. "How about you? How are you holding up?" 

"It's a lot of fun," he said, nodding his head. "Definitely a lot of fun. But it's hard when I realize that this is all about more than just fun." 

"What are you looking for exactly?" I asked. "I mean, you're obviously ready for a commitment, or you wouldn't have come on the show. But what does your ideal woman look like?"

"It might sound trite, but a sense of humor and a healthy sense of optimism. Those are essential. Of course, I want a woman who's loyal, honest, and who wants a commitment." He hesitated, just scanning my face for several moments. "And I want someone who can handle my lifestyle. I want a place to call home, but I can't imagine I'll stay in one place all the time. I love my job too much, and the opportunities it brings into my life. But that's a big issue for you, isn't it?" 

"It is," I admitted. "I really like to be in control of my time and my surroundings. What do you envision for your wife and family, in terms of the time you'd spend with them? Would you want them to tour with you or just be a stable foundation for whenever you return home?" 

"I want a home base," he answered. "But I suspect that wherever my family is will feel like home. So yeah, I would love it if my wife was open to touring with me and she would have to be creative about the time we spend together since my itinerary can get really insane while we're on tour."

We were speaking hypothetically, but I couldn't help but put myself into the scenario. Would I be content following him around, being there to support him instead of staying home and focusing on my career?

"I love my job as well," I said. "I don't think I have to stay in Sacramento, but I don't want to give up my career...."

"I would never want you to," Harry said, and his voice was very serious. "I would never expect you just to be happy just following me around." Thankfully, that addressed my concern from just a moment earlier. "It seems like you could do a lot of work remotely, but when you had meetings and other obligations, I would want you to be there and do what you do best." 

"How do you know it's what I do best?" I challenged him playfully.

"Because I know you. I can tell you put your heart into everything you do. And it was obvious from the day I first met you that you're very proud of what you've accomplished." I just nodded, looking into his eyes, getting lost in their color. "Do you trust me?" He asked abruptly.

"Yes, of course I trust you," I answered him, wondering where the question came from. 

"I just know how you feel about celebrities and their ability to make commitments and keep promises." 

"That was before I met you. I trust you, Harry, and I believe you when you say you want a love for keeps."

His mouth had been slowly moving closer to mine as we spoke, and now I could feel his breath across my lips. I moved just enough to close the gap, immediately pressing deep. I raised my hand to his hair, scratching lightly through it while he groaned a little in satisfaction. His lips were so good, his taste so unique, I just couldn't get enough of him. He smoothed one hand up my back and stopped at my shoulders, while the other hand stayed squarely on my back; with both, he held me tightly to him so there was no escaping the pleasure of his mouth moving against mine. 

The more we kissed, the more our hunger for each other increased. My breath was becoming heavy and quick and I could feel his pulse pounding against me. I was so turned on and carried away that I had forgotten that cameras were trained on us; it seemed we both had. When I turned away from him and found a camera recording our entire makeout session, I grumbled, "Shit," and we both laughed.

"Kind of forgot this is for television," I said, still trying to calm down my breathing. He nodded in agreement, also trying to steady his breath. 

"It's probably obvious, Harry, but I'm falling for you. And some of these questions are hard for me because I don't want my heart to get too far ahead of my mind. I don't want to make promises that I won't be able to keep, but I want to reach the place where I know I can keep them. Does that make any sense?" 

"Yeah, it does. And I'm glad you're being honest with me. I think some of the women are saying only what they think I want to hear and I'm not getting very far in getting to know them. Thank you for telling me those things." He leaned in to kiss me again, just a small reminder of what we'd been doing only a few minutes ago. "And for the record," he said, speaking very quietly. "I'm falling for you, too."

_____

Hey 16K reads already - unbelievable! 

At the end of the chapter in the adventure park, I asked you to guess which of the "Little Known Facts" were ones that were true of me. Well, here are the answers: The one about Pharrell is true. A dear friend of mine and my husband's, who was the best man in our wedding has a brother who works with Pharrell. (Some kind of producer or sound engineer or something, IDK but he works closely with him.) I also swear that I once saw a UFO - driving back after dark from Lake Michigan, we had just turned off a highway onto a side road and there was this enormous circular array of lights above us. Still have no clue what it was. Also, I cry very easily, sometimes even over Hallmark commercials. And I grew up on a farm, and it was my job, along with my cousin to scrub the milking parlor walls once a week. 

And you all thought I was an exotic dancer, lol ;)