THE BACHELOR - Who Will Reuben Choose?

Meet the Parents - Ivy

I hadn’t been to the spice market before, but all the stalls were so enticing! I loved our visit to the arts quarter, and this was similar, but had its own flair to it.
Reuben was waiting for me at one of the tables, and my heart dropped when I saw him. He looked so handsome – as usual.
I walked toward him and kissed him lightly.
‘You look stunning,’ he said
‘Thank you.’ Heat rushed to my cheeks. I could not seem to stop that from happening even though we’d known each other long enough now.

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‘So, what can I tempt you with?’ he asked, as he gestured to the little stall.
‘Hmmm, what are my options?’ I asked.
‘We have Merguez, Tajine or Brochette.’
‘I’ve never had any of those before, so I have no idea!’ I laughed.
‘Well then you know what? Let’s get all three! Then you’ll know which one is your favourite for next time,’ he said, with a wink.
‘I can definitely get on board with that!’
‘Take a seat, and I’ll be right back with your order ma’am,’ he teased as if he was a waiter.


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I saw him and the man who ran the stall have a little laugh, and so I strained to hear what they were saying.
‘Reuben, that sure is a beautiful girl here with you tonight. Who’s the lucky lady?’ he asked.
‘Joe, I must be honest. I’m definitely the lucky one here.’
‘Ooooh, looks like we have a crush, don’t we?’ Joe said.
‘It’s definitely more than a crush, Joe,’ Reuben replied.
I couldn’t help but smile at that. He got our food and returned to table, and I pretended like I hadn’t heard a thing.

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‘Are you a regular here?’ I asked.
‘Yes, sometimes if I’m working late, I’ll stop past Joe’s stall and grab a bite to eat because he stays open until 2am. Very convenient I must say!’
‘Don’t tell me you work until midnight!’ I said, laughing.
‘Well, a man’s gotta do, what a man’s gotta do! Luckily I love my job!’ he said.
‘Your passion is admirable Mr. Church! I can’t wait to start my own vet practice so I can feel that way too!’ I exclaimed enthusiastically.

We dug into our tapas and chatted away. It was still so early so the snack would keep us going until dinner with his parents.
He very sweetly fed me a bite of each, watching my facial expressions intently.
‘And? What’s the verdict?’ he asked once we were done with our meal.
‘I love them all! Which is not helping,’ I said with a chuckle.
‘And if you absolutely haaaad to choose? Life or death?’ he asked. He was staring at me intensely, pretending it was life or death, his brow was furrowed.
‘Fine, fine, fine! I’ll have to go with the Tajine’
‘Good choice Miss Arrington… Because that happens to be my favourite as well!’ he exclaimed.

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‘Welcome to my home, Ivy,’ Reuben said, leading me inside.
‘Wow! This place is incredible! You have such good taste!’
It was so wonderful to see where he lived. A home says a lot about someone, and I liked the fact that it was neat and well decorated. You could see he cared about his space. My mom always told me that if a man can’t take care of himself, or his home, then how can you expect him to take care of you. And I think she was right about that one for sure.
He gave me a tour and I loved the way he seemed excited to show me everything. He wasn’t bragging or talking about expenses the way so many wealthy men would’ve done I imagined. He wasn’t materialistic or egotistical. I loved that about him! All I could do was smile.

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Once the tour was over, we went into the kitchen.
‘Would you like a glass of red?’ he offered.
‘That would be great, thank you! I might need the liquid courage to meet your parents later,’ I teased.
‘You’re perfect, Ivy. They’re going to love you, so don’t worry about a thing,’ he said, as he poured me my glass of wine, and whiskey in a tumbler for himself.
‘I really hope so!’ I said.


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We sat at the kitchen island. My heart was racing.
‘Reuben, before you make your decision about your final two I need to ask you something,’ I said, nervously.
‘Anything, Ivy. What is it?’
‘Umm, so… when you were at my house and you told my sister you were falling for me, did you mean you are currently falling for me or that you are already in love with me? Because I saw the producer ask about the ‘L-Word’ and that’s not really what I thought you meant,’ I rambled.
‘Oh, yes, I meant I was in the process of falling in love with you. You set my soul on fire Miss Arrington and I love every second I spend with you. I have extremely strong feelings for you but it wouldn’t be fair for me to say ‘I love you’ to any of you,’ he said.
‘Oh, thank goodness,’ I said with a giggle.
Reuben looked at me, clearly confused.
‘I mean ‘thank goodness’ because I didn’t think you would be someone who would just throw that word around. Which is amazing, and exactly what I would have thought. I think love is something that comes slowly and grows over time. And if I’m being completely honest… because I have nothing to lose…’ I started to say, but let it go.
‘It’s ok, Ivy. I understand what you’re trying to say, and I agree with everything you’ve said. Love is a funny thing isn’t it?’
‘That’s for sure!’ I agreed.

We sat for another hour or so speaking about life, our hopes and fears. It was beautiful to be able to connect this way with him.

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‘The pool looks very enticing,’ I said, ‘I brought my bathing suit as suggested.’
‘It is so wonderful outside! If you’re game, then I am as well! There’s a bathroom down the hall over there that you can use to change, and I’ll be right out.’
I changed faster than him and just stared at the view outside, captivated by all the lights. Reuben startled me as he wrapped his arms around me. He kissed me in my neck.

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‘I think I have completely fallen in love with the city,’ I said, with a sigh.
‘I think it suits you,’ he said.
‘Well, I really think that if all of this is over and you end up with someone else, I will be eternally grateful to you for showing me a different life full of possibility and adventure. I can see myself here though. Who knows, maybe I won’t go back to the country at all.’
‘I feel the same, Ivy. You have crept into my heart in more ways than one. Thank you for showing me your world as well,’ he said.
We stood there for a moment, comfortable in each other’s presence. Everything just felt right. I was glad that we said what was on our minds though. You never know what could happen. I doubt Reuben knew who he wanted to end up with either. All three of us were so different, offering something new.


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I turned back and kissed him. I pulled away and smiled.
‘Last one in loses!’ And I ran and jumped in the pool, not caring about my hair or where we were going later, just enjoying the moment.
He jumped in after me and splashed me.
‘You didn’t give me a warning! Not fair’ he said, laughing.
I splashed him back.
‘The sooner you realize life is unfair, the happier you’ll be,’ I sang, playfully.


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We laughed so much, splashing each other, racing through the water. Eventually I couldn’t feel my toes.
‘I’m freezing,’ I said.
‘I’ve got a solution to that,’ he said seductively.
‘Oh, do you?’ I asked. I moved toward him.
We stared deeply into each other’s eyes. You could cut the sexual tension. I had never felt this much desire for someone.

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He grabbed me and kissed me so passionately I forgot how to breathe. Time stopped. We pulled apart after who knows how long.
‘Ok, let’s get out and get changed,’ I said breathlessly.
‘Agreed,’ Reuben said, just as breathless.
We were like teenagers.
I giggled, and followed him back inside to get ready to meet his parents.

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