Latest / The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast / Did Mercedes Fall in Love at Jingle Ball?

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Did Mercedes Fall in Love at Jingle Ball? · The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast

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Speaker 1: iHeart podcasts, bring you the ultimate Summer of love Tree.
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Speaker 1: This is famously available everybody, It's famously available. I'm your host,
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Speaker 1: Ben Higgins. It's the final conclusion to this date that
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Speaker 1: we've been tracking. At least we think it's the final conclusion.
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Speaker 1: We were there when they met on the pod for
0:19
Speaker 1: the first time. We talked to him after the date,
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Speaker 1: and I've talked to my trusted spies of the evening.
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Speaker 1: Now it's time for me to connect with the star herself. Mercedes. Hello, Hello,
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Speaker 1: let's hear all about it.
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Speaker 2: Oh my gosh, we have so much to talk about.
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Speaker 1: There's so much to talk about. Let's start from the beginning.
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Speaker 1: In all transparency, I have talked to Bryce, I have
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Speaker 1: talked to our spies. You are the final chapter to
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Speaker 1: this first date conclusion. Walk us from the beginning. I mean,
0:55
Speaker 1: we've talked to you in the setup. But let's start
0:59
Speaker 1: with when the two of you first met each other.
1:02
Speaker 1: Walk me through that.
1:03
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean obviously, so Deana was podcasting with him,
1:08
Speaker 2: and then they're like, all right, Mercedes coming. It felt
1:11
Speaker 2: like I was like on a game show. But I
1:14
Speaker 2: walked in and like, initially like so cute. He's very
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Speaker 2: attractive and like right off the bat, you can tell
1:23
Speaker 2: he's super personal and can talk to literally anyone, which
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Speaker 2: I love. And yeah, I mean like right off the bat,
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Speaker 2: I felt like super comfortable. I wasn't like super nervous.
1:35
Speaker 2: I mean I was nervous, but like not like anything crazy.
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Speaker 2: So felt super comfortable in the beginning, and it started
1:43
Speaker 2: super good.
1:45
Speaker 1: Your outfits were matching. We've covered this on all well
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Speaker 1: now three interviews we've done. Was that exciting for you?
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Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean we were both wearing silk looking good.
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Speaker 2: I mean it definitely wasn't like a, oh my gosh,
2:00
Speaker 2: we're matching, like I don't know, I mean it was funny,
2:03
Speaker 2: like yeah, but I know we were both wearing silk.
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Speaker 2: It's so funny, a.
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Speaker 1: Little unexpected, both wearing silk, black silk.
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Speaker 2: Uh.
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Speaker 1: To be exact, you were looking stunning, no questions asked.
2:16
Speaker 1: You were looking absolutely gorgeous. He is a very handsome man.
2:22
Speaker 1: But there I want to go back to the time
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Speaker 1: that we talked before the date, when I mentioned he
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Speaker 1: had been on reality television. You did take a step back.
2:31
Speaker 1: You you acted like it wasn't a thing, but it
2:35
Speaker 1: felt like from your reaction maybe it was was it?
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Speaker 1: Was it an actual thing for you?
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Speaker 2: No? No, not really. I mean I like, like, like
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Speaker 2: I said when we were on the podcast, when I
2:51
Speaker 2: first like initially think about it, I'm like, oh, like TV.
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Speaker 2: But I'm like, but I've been on TV, and I
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Speaker 2: also know so many great men that I've been on TV.
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Speaker 2: So it was like, I don't know. I think for
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Speaker 2: a second, I was like oh, but then I was like, no,
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Speaker 2: it doesn't actually matter. But then he told me he
3:05
Speaker 2: was on he was on f Boy Island, and I
3:07
Speaker 2: was like, oh, but he was like one of the
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Speaker 2: good ones, so it's fine.
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Speaker 1: Yeah. F Boy Island was actually created by and produced
3:15
Speaker 1: by a former Bachelor ep along Gale.
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Speaker 2: Yeah, that's what he was saying. I didn't know Alon
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Speaker 2: is that his name.
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Speaker 1: Yeah, he's a great guy. You missed that on a
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Speaker 1: great chapter of the show. Yeah, we've mentioned also people
3:30
Speaker 1: have brought out to us that he was a complete
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Speaker 1: gentleman to you from the beginning. He gave you his
3:36
Speaker 1: coat when you're waiting for an uber because you were cold.
3:40
Speaker 1: You got in this sprinter van together. Then kind of
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Speaker 1: after that, it was a long drive. From your perspective,
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Speaker 1: how did that drive go.
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Speaker 2: It was good. I mean, like we conversation with him
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Speaker 2: was really really easy, and honestly, I wouldn't say deep
4:01
Speaker 2: is the right word, but like I did. I don't know.
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Speaker 2: He like got me to open up in ways that
4:05
Speaker 2: I don't usually open up, like right away, so I
4:08
Speaker 2: was like kind of cool. But yeah, the conversation was
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Speaker 2: really really good. I wasn't expecting to be like side
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Speaker 2: by side for an hour. No, that's intimidating, yeah for sure,
4:19
Speaker 2: but no, it was great. Like the conversation was good,
4:23
Speaker 2: and he like kind of told me about his life,
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Speaker 2: his la and then obviously I talked about Nashville and
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Speaker 2: Iowa and our families, and he told me about some
4:33
Speaker 2: stuff that he's been doing. So we definitely got to
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Speaker 2: like know each other in that ride.
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Speaker 1: For sure, there was a depth, you said to the conversation.
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Speaker 1: I'm very curious what kind of things he got you
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Speaker 1: to open up about that you didn't expect to open
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Speaker 1: up about on a first date.
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Speaker 2: Yeah. So we were talking about like our moms and
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Speaker 2: how like moms are amazing, and then I was like, yeah,
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Speaker 2: my mom had me when she was sixteen, like she's
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Speaker 2: like the best thing ever. Whatever, and then we just
5:02
Speaker 2: kind of like went down that path. And I don't
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Speaker 2: usually talk about my biological father to a lot of
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Speaker 2: people just because it's like a whole it's a whole story.
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Speaker 2: But I did with him, And so I don't know,
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Speaker 2: I thought, Yeah, I just like opened up. I don't know,
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Speaker 2: it's like very rare of me, especially on first date.
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Speaker 1: So I mean, and I'm sure then, I mean, you
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Speaker 1: had friends around you, You're in a sprinter van. They
5:23
Speaker 1: probably know more about you than than most Their first reaction,
5:28
Speaker 1: especially to the two of you having these kind of conversations, well,
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Speaker 1: like what were they thinking, Well, I don't think.
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Speaker 2: They heard like it was very much like us two
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Speaker 2: in the conversation when that was happening, Like I like,
5:40
Speaker 2: they turned around. Gabby and Jess were in front of us,
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Speaker 2: and they turned around and had like some conversation with us.
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Speaker 2: But I would say most of the car ride it
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Speaker 2: was just like me and him talking.
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Speaker 1: So they yeah, like they they weren't necessarily like listening
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Speaker 1: in creeping in Okay. And and Deanna had told me
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Speaker 1: that she sat behind you and she was kind of
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Speaker 1: watching the body language on the sprinter van ride. She
6:05
Speaker 1: mentioned that the body language was really good that you
6:07
Speaker 1: guys were, you know, sharing mutual friends. You were talking,
6:10
Speaker 1: you were laughing, and then you arrived to the actual
6:14
Speaker 1: event where there was a lot of your friends there.
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Speaker 1: We had taught, we have talked about this before. How
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Speaker 1: did you introduce him to people? Did you even need
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Speaker 1: to or was he that good socially that you just
6:28
Speaker 1: kind of let him do his thing.
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Speaker 2: Yeah, he's definitely good, like on his own. But I
6:34
Speaker 2: did introduce him to like Katie and Zach obviously, but
6:38
Speaker 2: he met most everyone in the sprinter van, so that
6:42
Speaker 2: was nice that like before we got to the event,
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Speaker 2: he kind of knew everyone. The only people in my
6:47
Speaker 2: circle like Joe and Serena were there, but I wouldn't
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Speaker 2: say I'm like close to them, so I didn't like
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Speaker 2: go up to introduce him. Does that make sense, Yeah,
6:56
Speaker 2: just because I'm not like super super close with them,
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Speaker 2: like I've maybe talked to him if you times, you know,
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Speaker 2: So like there's definitely people I didn't introduce him there
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Speaker 2: that like I knew I just wasn't close with. But
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Speaker 2: I think he did really good of like just enjoying
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Speaker 2: the concert and hanging out and like after the concert,
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Speaker 2: we'll probably get into that.
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Speaker 1: But yeah, we're going to get into that. The if
7:19
Speaker 1: we pause, then at this moment, you've put yourself back
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Speaker 1: in the place where you've entered, the venue, he's met,
7:27
Speaker 1: the people you had, the car ride together. How are
7:30
Speaker 1: you feeling about this first date?
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Speaker 2: Good first date? Like in that moment, I was like, Okay,
7:37
Speaker 2: this is going really good. But I will say Ben, like,
7:41
Speaker 2: I don't think I was ever at a point where
7:43
Speaker 2: I was like super excited about him, if that makes sense.
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Speaker 1: That makes sense, And I think I think it definitely
7:51
Speaker 1: is a thing on the first date. Right. He can
7:53
Speaker 1: be attractive, he can be a gentleman, but if the
7:57
Speaker 1: chemistry and the spark isn't there, it's noticeable. You can't
8:01
Speaker 1: fake that. I'm curious. Can you help me understand why?
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Speaker 2: Yeah? I mean I can't pinpoint it exactly, but I
8:13
Speaker 2: do think like our lifestyles are a little different, and
8:18
Speaker 2: just like in I don't want to like I don't know,
8:24
Speaker 2: hold on, how do I say this? Okay, Basically, like
8:27
Speaker 2: when we were talking in this for intervan, he had
8:30
Speaker 2: said some things that and they weren't bad by any means,
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Speaker 2: Like I think this guy is great. I just know
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Speaker 2: the way that I live my life and the way
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Speaker 2: that he might be living his like doesn't really align.
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Speaker 1: I mean, from what we know about you, and we've
8:44
Speaker 1: done some deep dives on you personally, you are a homebody. Yeah.
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Speaker 1: That's been to your benefit and to your demise when
8:53
Speaker 1: it comes to dating. Right, you get very comfortable at home.
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Speaker 1: You have some really deep loyal friendships. You From what
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Speaker 1: I understand about you, you aren't like a go outer, right,
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Speaker 1: Like that's not like a thing that you seek after anymore.
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Speaker 1: You're getting to the age where you know, you're more
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Speaker 1: likely to go to bed by nine thirty than you
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Speaker 1: are to stay up till two am. And is all
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Speaker 1: this right?
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Speaker 2: Yes?
9:17
Speaker 1: Okay, yeah, and there's no judgment there. That's been my
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Speaker 1: life for thirty six years. But it I mean knowing
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Speaker 1: him and I just you know, chatted with him to
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Speaker 1: day at you know, two am. He's still working. You know,
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Speaker 1: music industry is different, like there is a pace to that.
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Speaker 1: Is that what you're kind of talking about?
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Speaker 2: Yeah? Yeah, because he, like he told me. I asked him,
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Speaker 2: I'm like, do you like go out in la a lot?
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Speaker 2: And he kind of said that, like, you know, I
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Speaker 2: kind of have to for work. And he basically told
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Speaker 2: me that he does go out, which no hate, Like,
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Speaker 2: if you want to go out, go out, I just
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Speaker 2: like don't know if my lifestyle would align with that.
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Speaker 1: You know, Yes, I understand, uh. And I think that's
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Speaker 1: a very fair you know, you know, critique or being
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Speaker 1: intuitive to those things. Because you are, you know, potentially
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Speaker 1: dating somebody. You don't want to be pushed into doing
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Speaker 1: things later at night than you like to.
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Speaker 2: Yeh.
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Speaker 1: But I would like to push back on you a
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Speaker 1: little bit here, yes, and say, I mean I have
10:23
Speaker 1: never been a late night person, but I did enjoy
10:27
Speaker 1: going out a lot more as a single man than
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Speaker 1: I ever did once I met my wife. Once I
10:32
Speaker 1: met my wife, all I wanted to do was find
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Speaker 1: reasons for us to be home.
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Speaker 2: Yeah.
10:37
Speaker 1: So I do think that slows things down quite a bit.
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Speaker 2: M hmm. Well, and I feel like I've definitely been
10:44
Speaker 2: like the girl that goes out, Like I've had my
10:46
Speaker 2: time doing that. I just think in past relationships, like
10:51
Speaker 2: you just said it, like when you find someoney, you
10:53
Speaker 2: like want to be home, you want to do all that.
10:56
Speaker 2: And then so I did that with my ex, and
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Speaker 2: then I like was the going out girl again. I
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Speaker 2: just feel like recently, especially like I've been really like
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Speaker 2: diving into my faith too, and I feel like that's
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Speaker 2: why I'm not out. And I will say, like even
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Speaker 2: after like we went to another bar, do you know
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Speaker 2: what I'm saying, Like it wasn't like, oh, it's ten
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Speaker 2: o'clock time to go home, Like it was like we
11:15
Speaker 2: still went out and we all hung out and it
11:18
Speaker 2: was great. But then like once we went home, he
11:21
Speaker 2: went out after that, you know, and I'm like, oh,
11:24
Speaker 2: could not be me. Sorry, I'm in a good bed.
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Speaker 2: It's what I am, you know.
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Speaker 1: I do want to get your opinion on this. Kathy
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Speaker 1: Deanna and I did speak about this. I always had
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Speaker 1: a philosophy when it came to dating, no matter how
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Speaker 1: much fun I was having, that I was going to
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Speaker 1: go home like at the top of the evening, you know,
11:44
Speaker 1: when things were at its best at least on the
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Speaker 1: first date. Maybe not after that like kind of a
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Speaker 1: ride or die, you know, second third date. I'm out
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Speaker 1: with you for as long as you want to be
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Speaker 1: out for. But yeah, I have I've always quote George Costanza,
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Speaker 1: when you leave the party like in the middle on top,
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Speaker 1: were you a little bit like frustrated that he decided
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Speaker 1: to stay.
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Speaker 2: I think frustrated is the right word, because honestly, his
12:17
Speaker 2: like him being there like wasn't affecting anyone. But I
12:22
Speaker 2: did feel like because we were like on a date,
12:28
Speaker 2: I didn't want to like hurt his feelings being like, hey,
12:31
Speaker 2: like I'm like, I'm gonna hang out with my friends.
12:33
Speaker 2: So he just like kind of came along like it
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Speaker 2: wasn't No, I wouldn't say frustrated. I don't think that's
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Speaker 2: the right word, but I did like after was very
12:42
Speaker 2: much like when we went to the bar after the
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Speaker 2: jingle Bell, I was very much like, Okay, like dates
12:48
Speaker 2: kind of over. Now we're just like hanging out. It's
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Speaker 2: like friends. Like I'm with my friends, I'm gonna give
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Speaker 2: them attention and like, you know, So, did.
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Speaker 1: You feel obligated to kind of all so entertain him
13:00
Speaker 1: or at this point was it just hey, you've met
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Speaker 1: my people, let's do our thing.
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Speaker 2: Yeah. I did feel like a little obligation, But I
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Speaker 2: think that's just me as a person too, because he
13:12
Speaker 2: doesn't know anyone from Adam, and like, I don't want
13:14
Speaker 2: anyone to ever feel like uncomfortable. So I did feel
13:17
Speaker 2: an obligation, but like I said, he held his own
13:21
Speaker 2: very well and he like like it was me, Jonathan,
13:26
Speaker 2: who else was there? Just Gabby and Justin. It was
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Speaker 2: us six and the vibe was great. He got he
13:34
Speaker 2: got along with everyone. He could keep up with conversation
13:36
Speaker 2: like so I didn't feel too much like I had
13:40
Speaker 2: to like be like okay, come on, which was nice.
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Speaker 1: Before the day started, we did get an interview with
13:55
Speaker 1: you where he did mention that it's end of the night.
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Speaker 1: If it went well, he'd be giving you or asking
14:00
Speaker 1: or you know, agreeing to I don't know how you
14:02
Speaker 1: want to say this and might not make somebody sound
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Speaker 1: like a creeper a kiss. We do know the night
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Speaker 1: did not end in a kiss, but it did end
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Speaker 1: in an exchange of numbers. That seems like a good sign.
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Speaker 2: Yeah, well he had my number four. He got my
14:19
Speaker 2: number on the bus.
14:20
Speaker 1: Okay, so he got your number on the bus. So
14:22
Speaker 1: he went in early and said, before anything else happens,
14:24
Speaker 1: let me make sure I get the number.
14:25
Speaker 2: Yeah.
14:26
Speaker 1: It's smart, it's good, it's good, it's a good play.
14:31
Speaker 2: But yeah, no, didn't end in a kiss. And then
14:33
Speaker 2: he texted me and he was like, I really wanted
14:35
Speaker 2: to kiss you, and then he invited me like out,
14:37
Speaker 2: and I was like, that was when I was like,
14:39
Speaker 2: I was honestly asleep when he sent it.
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Speaker 1: It had to be pretty late jing bawl isn't like
14:43
Speaker 1: an early night and then a bar hanging afterwards.
14:46
Speaker 2: It well, I think he texted me at like four am.
14:49
Speaker 2: Oh my goodness, I say, like, yeah, he had.
14:54
Speaker 1: A late night, Mercedes. We gotta get honest here with you.
14:58
Speaker 1: Though he told us he would like to get together again,
15:02
Speaker 1: he said he don't come to Nashville to do that.
15:05
Speaker 1: Would you say yes to a second date?
15:11
Speaker 2: I don't know. I feel it's not that it's like
15:14
Speaker 2: a no, but I don't know. I don't know honestly,
15:20
Speaker 2: Like I honestly, I haven't talked to him like at all,
15:24
Speaker 2: like we have been texting or anything. It's not like
15:27
Speaker 2: a one hundred percent no, But it's also not one
15:30
Speaker 2: hundred percent yes, if that makes sense. I just think, like,
15:36
Speaker 2: but again, the situation like it was a lot. It
15:38
Speaker 2: was kind of like a not a regular first date.
15:45
Speaker 2: But honestly, my gut is being like, there's no like
15:47
Speaker 2: really chemistry there. If I'm being one hundred percent honest,
15:50
Speaker 2: which I hate saying that because I don't want to
15:51
Speaker 2: hurt his feelings and like it has nothing to do
15:55
Speaker 2: with him. There's just like sometimes there's no chemistry.
15:57
Speaker 1: You know, you've mentioned us you would rather somebody be
16:01
Speaker 1: straightforward then play along with the game, right, So being
16:06
Speaker 1: straightforward is good here. That is something you want people
16:10
Speaker 1: to treat you like, and so you know, I would
16:13
Speaker 1: think you would want to do the same to them.
16:16
Speaker 2: Yeah.
16:17
Speaker 1: I do want to ask, though, why not a second date?
16:20
Speaker 1: I mean, the chemistry, the connection, all those things. But
16:24
Speaker 1: it is a first date. And I'm always a proponent
16:26
Speaker 1: of if the first date wasn't tragically bad, like consider
16:31
Speaker 1: a second date just because first dates are awkward, They're weird,
16:35
Speaker 1: people are nervous. Yeah, you know this especially was uncomfortable. Yeah,
16:43
Speaker 1: and so why not a second date just given that context?
16:48
Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't know. I mean I feel like, which
16:54
Speaker 2: maybe this is like wrong of me, but I just
16:57
Speaker 2: feel like if I don't feel like excited and like
17:01
Speaker 2: and not saying I wasn't excited to get to know him,
17:03
Speaker 2: that's not the right word, but I just I didn't
17:06
Speaker 2: leave the day being like, oh my gosh, I want
17:08
Speaker 2: to see him again. You know, And I feel like
17:11
Speaker 2: that says a lot, and I don't know if I
17:12
Speaker 2: can like pinpoint one thing of like why exactly. But
17:17
Speaker 2: maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I do like need to give
17:19
Speaker 2: people more than just like one chance to like especially
17:22
Speaker 2: because like you said, like the situation was like not weird.
17:25
Speaker 2: Weird's not the right word, but like he was around
17:27
Speaker 2: a bunch of people, we went to a concert like
17:30
Speaker 2: on a podcast, you know, so like there are like
17:33
Speaker 2: things that played into it.
17:34
Speaker 1: But yeah, I'm not I definitely don't want to push
17:37
Speaker 1: you to have a second date. I just think I
17:40
Speaker 1: want to get inside your brain a little bit on
17:42
Speaker 1: your reasoning because on paper, if you write everything down,
17:47
Speaker 1: you're like, yeah, that was a good date, Like it
17:49
Speaker 1: was fine, it was a good first date. It went fine.
17:52
Speaker 1: Are you talking to anybody else? Is that what kind
17:55
Speaker 1: of plays into this?
17:56
Speaker 2: No, no one else, but I will say, which is
18:02
Speaker 2: is bad. But like I did like kind of compare
18:05
Speaker 2: it to my last day, my last first date, because
18:08
Speaker 2: my last FIR date, first date, I was like, oh
18:11
Speaker 2: my god, like so excited, you know, and I was
18:14
Speaker 2: like I want to see him again, like I and
18:17
Speaker 2: I just don't feel that this time but maybe, like,
18:19
Speaker 2: like comparing is not great.
18:20
Speaker 1: Thing to do well. And I mean, if I'm honest,
18:24
Speaker 1: just following along with your journey. It wasn't like Boston
18:27
Speaker 1: man treated you great and at the end. But I
18:31
Speaker 1: understand what you're saying. The first date, there is there
18:34
Speaker 1: was a spark. Like my first date, I will say
18:37
Speaker 1: there was a spark, there was a desire to talk again,
18:39
Speaker 1: there was an excitement, and I've also had first dates
18:42
Speaker 1: where there was a spark, there was the excitement, and
18:45
Speaker 1: then maybe the next day I was like, not as much.
18:59
Speaker 1: If we're to quantify the success of this date on
19:02
Speaker 1: a scale of one to ten, keeping in mind that
19:05
Speaker 1: this was a first date, what would be the number
19:07
Speaker 1: you'd put on it, I.
19:09
Speaker 2: Would say a six six point five.
19:12
Speaker 1: That's actually better than I thought you were gonna say.
19:14
Speaker 2: Oh really, yo, because like it went good, Like the
19:17
Speaker 2: conversation was good. And that's why, like it's confusing, because
19:20
Speaker 2: it really it was a good first date, and I
19:23
Speaker 2: I enjoyed getting to know him, but for some reason,
19:27
Speaker 2: I'm not like I need to see him again. You know.
19:31
Speaker 1: One of the best things about first dates or dating
19:33
Speaker 1: in general is it helps you kind of figure out
19:36
Speaker 1: what you're actually into and what you're not into I.
19:39
Speaker 2: Know, And that's what's tough about because I'm doing this
19:41
Speaker 2: podcas because like you know, I haven't dated a lot,
19:44
Speaker 2: so like this is me like going into it and
19:47
Speaker 2: like figuring out, like you just said, what I like,
19:49
Speaker 2: what I don't like and all these things. So I
19:53
Speaker 2: don't know. I'm glad I have you to like help
19:55
Speaker 2: me figure it out though.
19:58
Speaker 1: Well, And part of this is like I have the receipts,
20:02
Speaker 1: I have the memories of what has worked, what hasn't.
20:04
Speaker 1: What you've said you wanted, but maybe you said you
20:07
Speaker 1: wanted and you found out you didn't want, so give us.
20:11
Speaker 1: I only want to uplift Bryce here. Yeah, because I
20:15
Speaker 1: do think he took a big step. I do think
20:18
Speaker 1: he was kind. It sounds like to you, what things
20:21
Speaker 1: about Bryce stood out to you that you want to
20:24
Speaker 1: find in somebody, Like what what qualities were attractive? And
20:32
Speaker 1: then I am going to ask on the back end
20:33
Speaker 1: of that, what things maybe were you weren't as in
20:36
Speaker 1: favor of Yeah.
20:41
Speaker 2: Good qualities. He didn't let me open a door. He
20:45
Speaker 2: was like always helping my like holding my hand, like
20:47
Speaker 2: when I was getting in and out of the sprinter
20:49
Speaker 2: van so very much a gentleman, which I love. And
20:55
Speaker 2: then he was very like I don't know, like he
21:00
Speaker 2: made me feel like in a with all these people,
21:04
Speaker 2: he made me feel like I was kind of the
21:06
Speaker 2: only girl in the room. Like he like kept like
21:09
Speaker 2: being like, oh my gosh, like you look so beautiful,
21:12
Speaker 2: or just like complimenting me and just making me feel seen,
21:15
Speaker 2: and like, especially in being in a room with so
21:19
Speaker 2: many people, he made it like a thing to make
21:22
Speaker 2: sure that I knew that he was interested in me,
21:24
Speaker 2: which I really really really loved. Super easy to.
21:30
Speaker 1: Talk to and anything that stood out to you outside
21:34
Speaker 1: of obviously your different lifestyles that you didn't maybe or
21:41
Speaker 1: maybe you weren't as attractive.
21:43
Speaker 2: To so he me personally. I feel like when I'm
21:50
Speaker 2: dating someone like you also kind of have to like, what, Okay,
21:54
Speaker 2: Remember when I told you were like who's gonna be
21:56
Speaker 2: the hardest person to win over? Yeah, and I said
21:59
Speaker 2: Jess mm hmm. He forgot just his name like three times,
22:02
Speaker 2: and I'm like, oh, bro, So just like I think
22:06
Speaker 2: that was like really unattractive because it was three times
22:09
Speaker 2: and it happened to Gabby too once, I think. But
22:12
Speaker 2: it's just like okay, like you are getting to know me,
22:14
Speaker 2: but also like my friends are really important too, you know,
22:17
Speaker 2: like you can't like just dismiss them. Yeah, but yeah,
22:21
Speaker 2: when that happened, I was like, ooh, like that's kind
22:24
Speaker 2: of nicky.
22:25
Speaker 1: It is, I would say. From my perspective though, and
22:29
Speaker 1: he and I are different people, I would have just
22:31
Speaker 1: been very nervous. And maybe he wasn't maybe he's smooth.
22:35
Speaker 1: Like I just would have been very nervous for this date.
22:37
Speaker 1: There was a lot of things that would have made
22:39
Speaker 1: me anxious. Right, beautiful people, full on a bus, a
22:45
Speaker 1: beautiful date that he's having. I could see myself being
22:51
Speaker 1: overwhelmed and unable to really be myself, trying to like
22:57
Speaker 1: adjust to whatever was happening.
23:00
Speaker 2: Yeah, for sure.
23:02
Speaker 1: And I imagine a lot of men will feel that
23:04
Speaker 1: way when they go on their first date with you.
23:05
Speaker 1: I mean, I guess I say all this, Mercedes to say,
23:09
Speaker 1: you will be intimidating in the best of ways person
23:12
Speaker 1: to have a first date with. They're gonna walk into
23:15
Speaker 1: the room and they're gonna be like, goodness, gracious, I
23:17
Speaker 1: don't want to mess this up. Give me the best
23:18
Speaker 1: shot I got. What do I have to do, what
23:20
Speaker 1: do I have to say? Whatever? And that's just kind
23:24
Speaker 1: of from the male thought process what happens during this
23:29
Speaker 1: That's also why I think the thing that stood out
23:31
Speaker 1: to me the most was he didn't bounce when things
23:33
Speaker 1: were good.
23:35
Speaker 2: Yeah.
23:35
Speaker 1: I don't know what he was hoping the evening brought
23:38
Speaker 1: and what the late night evening entailed, but that's also
23:43
Speaker 1: one of my re always was one of my reasons
23:45
Speaker 1: for leaving as soon as I knew the out was open,
23:47
Speaker 1: Not because I wanted to leave, but because I knew
23:50
Speaker 1: I had done what I need to do to at
23:51
Speaker 1: least get my foot in the door for maybe that
23:53
Speaker 1: second date.
23:54
Speaker 2: Yeah, no, for sure, I don't. I feel like he
23:58
Speaker 2: was really nice, So there's really nothing like bad or like.
24:04
Speaker 2: But that's the only thing that I could think of
24:05
Speaker 2: was the just thing.
24:07
Speaker 1: Obviously, I don't know if this goes to a second
24:09
Speaker 1: date or not. That's your decision to make. You just
24:10
Speaker 1: gotta let us know if it does, or I guess
24:13
Speaker 1: either way, if we were to set you up again
24:16
Speaker 1: here soon some qualities that you like, you really want
24:20
Speaker 1: us to look for. I think it's been clear somebody
24:24
Speaker 1: of a shared faith is very important to you. Yeah,
24:28
Speaker 1: you've brought that up before. I think as you date seriously,
24:31
Speaker 1: it's probably going to become more and more of a focus.
24:35
Speaker 1: Anything else that you really want us to kind of
24:37
Speaker 1: and this isn't talking about Bryce or not talking about Bryce.
24:40
Speaker 1: We're talking in general, anything you really want people to
24:44
Speaker 1: pay attention to.
24:45
Speaker 2: Yeah, someone I think being family oriented is really good.
24:50
Speaker 2: I also think, like I want someone who's like which
24:53
Speaker 2: I've said this before, but also has like a passion
24:56
Speaker 2: outside of their like job. Like I feel like I
24:58
Speaker 2: want someone who finds like it exciting to like go
25:04
Speaker 2: volunteer or do things outside of like what they have
25:07
Speaker 2: to do in life.
25:08
Speaker 1: You know, I do, I do, And I mean I
25:11
Speaker 1: think that's one of the things that my wife and
25:13
Speaker 1: I've talked about recently in our life. Is one of
25:16
Speaker 1: the things that's made our marriage most successful is our
25:18
Speaker 1: ability to talk about our passions at dinner outside of
25:21
Speaker 1: just like the job that we have or each other.
25:25
Speaker 1: We love each other, very passionate about each other. Yeah,
25:28
Speaker 1: but it's really fun to hear about her desires for
25:31
Speaker 1: X y Z and her to hear about my desires
25:34
Speaker 1: for golf. And she does it, and it's fun, and
25:41
Speaker 1: I think that's those are all great things. They are. Mercedes,
25:46
Speaker 1: I want to just say, I'm appreciative of you for
25:49
Speaker 1: going on this date and trusting us. Are you upset
25:53
Speaker 1: by any means that you went on this first.
25:54
Speaker 2: Date now, not at all. I had a great time
25:58
Speaker 2: and like he's seriously, like so such a good person,
26:03
Speaker 2: super nice. Like I had a great time with him.
26:06
Speaker 2: I just don't know right now if it's like I
26:10
Speaker 2: want to go on a second date. But I don't know.
26:11
Speaker 2: I don't know. I think I need like a few
26:13
Speaker 2: more days to like kind of think about it, to
26:15
Speaker 2: be honest.
26:16
Speaker 1: That's fair, that's fair. Just keep us updated. We'll follow
26:18
Speaker 1: along with you. We don't go that far. Mercedes, keep
26:23
Speaker 1: us updated, keep informing us on all of your dating life.
26:26
Speaker 1: We appreciate you jumping on here and talking about it.
26:29
Speaker 1: And we also appreciate you going to Iheart's jingle Ball,
26:33
Speaker 1: which is always a fun time. You had a fun
26:35
Speaker 1: time there at least.
26:36
Speaker 2: Yeah, it was so much fun. We made a blast.
26:38
Speaker 1: That's great. Continue to listen to famously Available. There's a
26:42
Speaker 1: lot out there right now about this first date with
26:45
Speaker 1: Mercedes and Bryce. We have the spies, We have Bryce,
26:48
Speaker 1: we have Mercedes. We have the pre date conversations, some
26:52
Speaker 1: very helpful episodes to kind of get a glimpse into
26:55
Speaker 1: what a first date is like for so many. I
26:57
Speaker 1: also just think it's very resting. The follow along, we'll
27:02
Speaker 1: see where the Bryce Mercedes friendship, relationship acquaintances go. We'll
27:08
Speaker 1: keep you updated here on Famously Available, But until next time,
27:11
Speaker 1: I've been Ben and we'll talk to you soon.