It’s that time of the season for fans of “The Bachelorette” – “fantasy suites”! Only three men remain in the running for Andi Dorfman’s heart in episode 9 of the ABC reality show, and the 26-year-old Atlanta beauty is continuing her journey to find love in the Dominican Republic.

Nick, Chris and Josh will each have a one-on-one date with Andi, and potentially receive a key to the hottest room on TV – the “fantasy suite.” For viewers unfamiliar with the “fantasy suite,” the couples get a chance to be together for one night without cameras on them and move their relationship to the next level – whether it be emotionally or physically.

For Andi, she’s ready to take that next step because she truly feels that her future husband is in the Dominican Republic with her. As for the guys? All three of them are head over heels for her.

Nick

Nick, the 33-year-old software sales executive, got the opportunity to have the first one-on-one date with Andi in episode 9. After a successful hometown date in Milwaukee, Nick wants to throw his feelings on the table and tell Andi that he loves her. But his nerves make it difficult for him to spit out the words.

The pair take a helicopter ride to a private island off the coast for some fun in the sun. Spending the afternoon in their bathing suits, the two kiss and frolic in the sand – which is ideal for Andi because she’s quite fond of what Nick’s packin’ underneath his shirt.

For Nick, the two have an “incredible intensity” between them. And while Andi did have a great hometown date with him, the fact that his family told her that he has had difficult breakups makes her a little nervous. Andi knows that there is “a lot more to Nick” that she doesn’t know and wants to get to the bottom of his past relationships. And fortunately for the bachelorette, Nick is willing to talk about it. Bringing up his broken engagement, he explains that while it was tough, he learned from the experience of his ex breaking it off.

Afterwards, the pair returned to the hotel for a romantic dinner. It was there that Nick decided to tell her exactly how he feels. Whipping out a book, Nick revealed that he wrote their entire story down as a fairy tale. He read her each page until it came to the final one … about the “fantasy suite.” In a bold move, Nick brought up the private room. And Andi told him that she “might” have something for him.

Handing him the letter from host Chris Harrison, Nick accepted the invitation to the “fantasy suite.” But he warned her that the odds are high that he’ll talk her ear off the entire night. With the “fantasy suite” invitation as a security blanket, Nick decided that it was the time to tell Andi what was on his mind. Pulling her aside from the cameras, Nick told Andi that he is in love with her and has wanted to tell her so since Belgium. Andi couldn’t say those three words back, but she did giggle and kiss him before they entered the “fantasy suite.”

Josh

After a great night with Nick, Andi embarked on her second one-on-one date in episode 9. With 29-year-old Josh at her side, the two explored Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic. Dancing, drinking, eating and enjoying each other’s company, Andi got a taste of what married life with him might be when they participate in a pickup baseball game with local children.

“He’s a natural,” Andi told the cameras of Josh with children. The two explored that further over a conversation about what kind of parents they would be.

Josh cannot contain his happiness when he’s with Andi, and makes it clear to her. Once again he tells her, “I love you,” and says that he needs her to know how much she means to him.

“The hardest part is you can’t say anything back,” he acknowledged.

Ecstatic over Josh’s sweet words, she offered him the fantasy suite card and he “absolutely” accepted for a night “without the glam.”

Chris

The third and final date of episode 9 went to Chris, the 32-year-old farmer from Iowa. Just like with Nick and Josh, the “fantasy suite” card was on the table; and Chris was happy about the opportunity to spend some alone time with Andi. However this date came with a little more pressure for Andi because she wasn’t sure about extending the “fantasy suite” invitation to him.

The couple went on a horseback ride in the Dominican countryside – something that Chris was a little more confident about than Andi was. While Andi was a nervous wreck on the animal, she didn’t need to spend her entire time worrying about galloping away because the duo stopped for a romantic picnic. It’s while sipping wine in a field that they talked about the hometown date and Chris’ struggle with being away from the farm.

After a round of “ghost in the graveyard,” a game they played with Chris’s family, the two returned to the hotel to round out their date. But their rendezvous in the countryside did nothing to ease Andi’s worries about the “fantasy suite.”

Expressing her feelings that she’s not sure they’re at that point, the conversation turned to Iowa and the big transition that Andi would go through if she moved to the farm. Chris’s argument was that if a couple has a real connection, they can make things work anywhere. But he does acknowledge that it would be a huge sacrifice for Andi – and that he’d be willing to make some sacrifices as well.

Andi doesn’t want him to make any sacrifices, though, when it comes to what runs in his blood. Setting Iowa aside, she told Chris that she’s at a crossroad with him either way and is struggling with what to do. Chris is so shocked that he can’t even form words when Andi starts crying. He managed to get out that he’s falling in love with her, but Andi broke out the cold, hard truth – the foundation between them just wasn’t there.

With tears streaming down her face, Andi told Chris that she doesn’t think it’s right to have him wait until the rose ceremony. While Chris said that he was disappointed, he ended things on a good note with Andi, telling her that he appreciates and respects her.

After packing his bags, Chris told the cameras that he didn’t see it coming.

“Wasn’t the answer I wanted,” he acknowledged. “Wasn’t what I wanted to hear. I didn’t come here to mess around. I’m glad I know. I want to find a partner in life, a best friend, someone that wants to be around me everyday … that’s what I want.”

The Rose Ceremony

Harrison walked Nick and Josh to the waterfront for the episode 9 rose ceremony. But before he brought out Andi, he informed the men that “Chris is no longer here.”

“As of this moment it’s the two of you and Andi,” Harrison said. “As for why he’s gone and what happened, I think you should hear that from Andi.”

Andi admitted to the two remaining contestants that she didn’t see a future with Chris, which is why she sent him home before the rose ceremony. However, she still wanted to have the rose ceremony because this journey is a “two way street” for them.

Smiling at both the men, Andi gave the first rose to Nick. The software sales executive gladly accepted it, giving Andi a kiss on the cheek and a hug. Andi then gave the second rose to Josh, who accepted the rose with a hug and a kiss.

Were you shocked at the episode 9 elimination on “The Bachelorette”? Tweet your thoughts to @AmandaTVScoop.

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