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Annalise POV

The next day I wake up feeling a little better. Today from memory JoJo has her single date with Colby and we'll find out if there are any other dates this week.

Once I'm up I put on some exercise shorts and a crop top. "Morning." I greet Amanda.

"Hi."

"I'm just going for a run." I inform her.

"Thanks for telling us."

"I'll be back later."

After my run about an hour later I arrive back at our villa and see the girls in the lounge talking. "How was your run?" Lauren B asks.

"Good." I answer.

"You feeling better?" Jen asks.

"A little bit."

"We've been informed to stay in here, we're filming Colby's arrival for JoJo's date." Lauren H announces.

"Okay."

3rd Person POV

The girls are hanging out in the kitchen and living room. The front door opens and in walks Colby wearing black jeans and a maroon shirt. He looks hot. The girls smile and immediately hop up from the couch and greet him. "Hey." he greets. "How are you finding Mexico?"

"Love it." They respond.

Annalise is in the kitchen sitting on the counter. Colby turns his head and notices her and smiles. "Hi." He greets her.

Annalise hops off the counter and walks over to the lounge where everyone else is. "Hi." She greets.

"Are you doing okay?"

"Today's a better day."

"Good." he smiles. "Now I hate to leave but I have a date with someone." he reminds everyone and glances at JoJo. "Ready?"

JoJo nods. "Born ready."

"Let's go. Have a great day ladies."

Annalise POV

After Colby and JoJo leave the rest of us get changed into bikini's and go for a swim in the ocean.

"Hey Emily, whilst you're in the house can you bring me a beer?" I ask from the water.

"Sure." She accepts.

"Oh, me too." Lauren B asks to.

"Sure." she responds and walks back in the house.

Lauren faces me. "How are you really feeling?"

"I'm better, still have my moments, but it's getting better day by day." I admit.

"Are you sleeping?"

"Sometimes."

"Ladies." Emily alerts us.

"Yes." We shout back.

"Date card." She reveals.

3rd Person POV

Emily holds the date card and shows it to the girls as they walk back inside after a swim the ocean. The ladies take a seat on the lounge and Emily slowly opens the card. "Let's cook!" Emily reads pulling out a second card. "On the group date is.. Annalise, Lauren B, Amanda, Lauren H, Caila, Hailey and Jen."

"So do you think it's a cooking class?" Amanda wonders.

"Or a cooking contest." Lauren B guesses.

"Is anyone a good cook?" Annalise wonders.

Colby POV

Today's date with JoJo has been going great but I'm still trying to figure out if she is here for me or if she's here to get famous. She seems to talk a whole lot about how good this journey is and that it will be beneficial to her when it's over.

And that is one of the reasons why I'm still apprehensive about this, people using the show to benefit themselves, yes all these girls will be known when the show airs, but is it really worth it for just 15 minutes of fame.

I drop JoJo off at the villa after our date and head back to my villa which is a block away from the ladies. I walk inside to find Renee inside watching TV. "Hi." She greets.

"Hey."

"How'd the date with JoJo go?"

"It was fine but she was saying stuff about how good this opportunity is for her, I think she's here for more herself than for me."

She nods. "I got that vibe from her to, she was really hoping for Ben H to be The Bachelor this year, but she still came."

"Do you have any dirt?" I wonder.

"Let's just say that the person that's been on the show isn't who she is. She's on here for the fame."

I grin. "What else do you know?"

"I know lots Colby."

"Do tell."

"Well for starters, Lauren H, is another person on here for the fame, she has a blog."

"Who else?" I query.

"Jen."

"I'm going to have to start getting rid of people, we haven't had a rose ceremony in a while."

"You know you have power about what goes on, if you aren't feeling it with someone send them home."

I nod standing up. "I think your right."

"Colby, the gesture you did for Annalise last night was really sweet." She mentions.

"I wanted her to feel better."

"And you did, it's the little things like that, that shows a girl you care."

"I'm thanking heavens I did this show because I can't stop thinking about her." I admit.

She smiles. "I told you it would be worth it."

3rd Person POV

Today is the group date and the ladies are very excited to get to spend the day with Colby in Mexico City.

The ladies arrive at a Mexican restaurant in town. The ladies walk into a restaurant and up a flight of stairs. When they reach the landing they find Colby, Chris Harrison, Renee and two other people; a male and female in chef, standing with them. "Welcome ladies." Chris greets.

"Hi." They respond.

"You all look great." Colby compliments.

"Oh stop." Emily jokes.

Everyone laughs. "Colby has brought you all here today because he wants to see how good you are in the kitchen." Renee explains.

"Colby travels a lot and sees different places around the world, he tries different cuisines, so today, you are going to be cooking a Mexican dish." Chris announces. "We would like to introduce you to the owners of this amazing restaurant, Chef Luke and Chef Laura."

"Hi ladies." Chef Laura greets.

"Hi." They respond.

"Welcome to our restaurant." Chef Luke welcomes.

"We are very excited to see how well you ladies are in the kitchen." Laura expresses. "Colby loves his food so let's see how much you know."

"Ladies we wish you luck, and have fun." Renee finishes and Chris and Renee leave.

"Are you ladies ready?" Colby asks.

"Yes." They cheer.

"Alright, we are going to need you all to pair up." Luke announces.

Amanda and Lauren B grab each other. Caila and Jen form a pair, Emily and Hayley are another and finally Lauren H and Annalise are paired up.

Lauren H doesnt seem to like it but she puts on a fake smile as Annalise puts an arm around her back. Annalise notices this but isn't bothered by it.

Colby POV

The ladies seperate to the benches and select the ingreditents for their dishes which will be tasted by me, Renee, Chris and both Chef Luke and Laura. "You all have one hour to cook a dish." Laura informs everyone. "When the time is up, we will critique your food and see if you are good enough for Colby." Laura teases and everyone chuckles.

"Is it too late to bow out now, I cannot cook to save my life." Annalise jokes and I'm glad she's starting to be herself again.

Everyone laughs. "Just try your best." Luke encourages.

"Alright ladies let's get cooking." Laura orders.

The ladies start cooking and I make my way around the restaurant eager to know what they are cooking. I approach Lauren H and Annalise first. "Alright, so what are we cooking ladies." I asks them.

Lauren smiles. "I'm taking the lead on this, and we are cooking a burrito. I have given Annalise some simple instructions to complete whilst I focus on the harder stuff." Lauren responds.

"What type of burrito?"

"Beef."

"Nice." I grin walking off. I then walk over to Emily and Hayley. "What are you two cooking?"

"Nachos."

"Yes." I say in approval. "Good luck." I wish and walk to Caila and Jen's bench. "Ladies, what are we cooking?"

"Steak fajitas with avocado and tomato salsa."

"Now that is something that is making my mouth water."

"Good to know." Caila grins.

"Good luck, I'm eager to try it." I expresss and head to the last counter which is Amanda and Lauren B. "Ladies."

"Hi." They greet.

"What are you cooking?"

"Tacos."

"Good choice." I approve.

An hour later the girls have finished cooking and the kitchen is smelling amazing. The ladies head back down to the restaurant where Chris, Renee, Luke and Laura and I are sitting. "They all look great ladies." Renee compliments observing all the dishes.

"Please sit down." I encourage.

The ladies all sit down across from us. The first up is Jen and Caila. "Alright ladies what have you cooked for us?" Chris asks.

"We have cooked steak fajitas with avocado and tomato salsa." Caila answers placing it in front of us.

The dish looks elegant and sophisticated and the spices and aroma of the dish are flying off the plate. "It looks beautiful ladies the presentation is perfect." Laura compliments.

"Thanks, we both like to cook, and we cook for the ladies in the house." Jen responds.

"We see that." I joke. "Shall we dig in?"

We all grab a fork and dig into the dish. "This tastes amazing." Renee moans.

"This is amazing, the spice isn't too much but there is a little bit of bite to it, and that's great. The avocacdo makes it all sit so well, well done." Laura praises.

"Next dish please." Chris asks rubbing his hands together.

Lauren B and Amanda come up next with their tacos. "Good old beef tacos." Amanda announces.

"Always the go to Mexican food." I comment.

We taste it and and again it's delicious. Next up are Emily and Hayley's meal which was a solid dish and lastly Lauren H and Annalise place their plates infront of us. "Alright lucky last." Renee grins.

"Who did most of the work?" Luke wonders.

Annalise points to Lauren who nods proudly. "All Lauren I'm afraid, I did some of the prep though." She jokes.

"At least you did something." Laura retorts.

"So what do you have for us?" Chris asks.

"We have made Beef burritos." Lauren answers.

"They look great." I praise.

Lauren smiles. "Thanks."

We all taste the meal and grin. "These are really tasty. They aren't over powering but you still have those Mexican flavors and spices, great job." Luke praises.

"And Annalise, great job of dicing of the tomatoes." Laura jokes.

Annalise laughs. "Do I get an A?"

"Still deciding." Luke jokes.

Annalise POV

After the cooking portion of the date is finished we are driven back to our villa to get changed into our evening outfits. I decide to wear a white bandage dress that shows off my curves. Once we are all ready we get back in the van and head off.

3rd Person POV

The ladies arrive at rooftop bar over looking the city. "What is with Colby and rooftops?" Annalise jokes.

Amanda chuckles. "It's his thing."

"It is."

The ladies get settled on the couch and wait patiently for Colby to arrive. Shortly after he exits the elevator and sees the ladies. "Well don't all you ladies look beautiful." He compliments them all.

"Aw thanks." they respond.

He sits down between Jen and Caila. "I want to thank you ladies for a great date so far. It was fun watching you all cook today and just have some fun." He expresses.

"Thanks for allowing us to do that." Jen thanks.

"You're welcome."

Colby POV

One by one grab the girls for some alone time with him. I rejoin the group after my chat with Caila and grab Lauren H. "Can we talk?" I ask.

"Of course." she responds and I take her away.

I direct Lauren down stairs and we step out onto the street. "Have you had a good day?" I ask her.

"The best, it was so much fun cooking in that kitchen. I would have never done that if I weren't on the show."

"Yeah, you get to do some pretty cool stuff."

"And even more cool stuff."

We come to a stop and sit down on a park bench. "So tell me Lauren, what made you come on the show?" I ask.

She looks at me. "I thought it was pretty obvious, the journey, the experience, the growth."

I nod not liking her answer at all. "Being a teacher is an incredible job, why leave that?"

She looks at me confused. "As much as I love my job I guess I just wanted to do something new." She replies.

"And coming on The Bachelor is the answer?"

"Yes."

I look down frowning. "Are you here to find love?"

"Of course I am."

"Than how come when I asked you why you are here, that wasn't one of your answers?"

She looks at me shocked. "Do you think I'm here for the wrong reasons?"

"I think your more invested in the places you go than me." I retort. "Whenever I pull you aside, all you talk about is how amazing it is here, and that you have never been to a place like this, and that this journey is awesome but not once have you tried to form a connection with me."

She gasps. "That's because you're off forming connections with just a couple people."

I stand up abruptly. "That is not true." I argue confidently. "I spend my time equally with everyone, yes there are stronger connection than others, but every time I sit down and have a conversation with someone, my attention and focus is on that person." I add just as loud. I stop and takes a deep breath. "Lauren, I think you're a great person, but this journey between you and I isn't working." I announce. "I have tried to form a connection with you, I've tried asking you questions about your life and your future and you have never once said me." I continue. "And I think you know that deep down I'm right."

She looks at me angrily. "You've tried, that is absolute bullshit. You haven't, all you ever do is spend time with is Lauren, Amanda, and Annalise."

"I think it's time you left." I say a little aggressively.

"You're sending me home."

"Yes and it's not because of the way you're acting, it's because I don't see you and I working out and I think you know that." I retort. "You're lashing out because this journey that you thought you were partaking on wasn't the one you were hoping for. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors." I farewell.

I walk back up to the rooftop alone. I make my way over to the girls who are confused. "Where's Lauren?" Amanda asks.

"I sent her home." I announce.

"What?" Jen shrieks.

"I'm here to find someone that really wants to be here. I asked her why she was here and her answer had nothing to do with me."

"Are you serious?" Lauren B asks.

"Yes. I am not here to waste anyone's time." I exclaim. "In the beginning I was very skeptical and I made that very clear, but I was also open about why I am doing this. And since the first limo rolled up my mind has changed." I admit. "I am enjoying this and I'm forming some strong connections, so if I don't feel it with someone or someone doesn't feel it with me, I don't want to waste either of our time."

"We understand." Lauren responds.

"Thanks."

Colby takes a breath and sighs. "Amanda would you like to go for a walk?" I ask and Amanda nods and we walk off. After my talk with Amanda, I grab Jen. Lastly Annalise, and I can't help but smile. I make my way over to the lounge and her eyes meet mine "Walk?" I ask.

"Sure."

Annalise POV

Colby retrieves me after Jen and he looks unsettled. We walk out onto the street and start walking down the path holding hands. "Are you okay?" I ask him.

He turns to face me. "Yeah, I don't like sending people home, but I really am trying to do this the best I can."

"I can't even imagine what it would be like, but you are doing the right thing Colby. You are listening to yourself and that's all you can ever do." I reassure. "Yes this process is fucked up, but deep down you it's working. You wouldn't be keeping these woman if it wasn't."

He sighs and pulls me into him. "How are you doing?" He asks me.

"I'm good, I feel a lot better."

"You look better."

"Thanks. And thanks for today." I thank.

"Can you really not cook?"

I laugh. "I can only cook the basics. When I was in my prime as a gymnast I had all my meals delivered, and because everytime I attempted to cook I'd burn."

"Is there anything you can make?"

"Brownies." I answer. "From a packet." I add.

He laughs and looks down at me. "You're something special you know that?"

"I hear that from time to time." I joke. "Have you been to Mexico before?"

"I have."

"Have you been to Australia?"

"Yes and I loved it. Went last year, beautiful place."

"It is. I'll have to show you it some time."

He smiles. "I'd like that."

"That just means I have to stay for a bit longer, that's if you can handle me."

He laughs for the first time tonight. "I think you can stay for a little bit longer."

"How kind." I joke.

We stop walking and are in the middle of some street markets. "I think we walked to far." He notices.

I look around and nod. "I think we did."

"We should head back."

"Lead the way." I gesture and we head back to the rooftop. "Thanks for bringing me to Mexico."

"You're welcome." he smiles and leans in to kiss me.

My lips meet his and the kiss is slow and passionate and I have to come up for breath. "Well you have officially left me breathless." I flirt.

He chuckles and kisses me again. "Come on."

We arrive back on the rooftop and the girls are talking on the couch. "Hey." I greet.

"Where did you go off to?" Lauren asks.

"We walked further than we thought, how's the mood up here?"

"Jen is a little angry that Lauren H was sent home." Amanda whispers.

"JoJo and her were close with her."

"And they are all here for the wrong reasons." Lauren adds.

"And I think Colby sees it too."

"He's finally taking control." Amanda comments.

"He is, and it's actually a turn on." I admit.

I turn to face him and see he's talking to producer as we wait to film. His head turns slightly and his eyes meet mine and he smiles.

3rd Person POV

The ladies are on the couch and Colby comes back and he has a rose in his hand. He takes a seat next to Annalise. "I want to thank you all again for being here. It's been a great day today." He begins. "I also want to be up front with you. I am here to hopefully find someone to spend the rest of my life with, so I want make sure that you are all here for the right reasons. So please use the time with me to get to know me." He adds. He slowly shows the rose. "Now I have a rose to give out." He alerts. "Tonight my rose goes to... Caila." Caila looks up shocked and smiles. "Caila will you accept this rose?"

She smiles. "Of course."

He hands her the rose and they hug. "I hope you all had a good date, and I will see you all at the Rose ceremony tomorrow."