'Bachelorette' Emily picks her hometown guys

'Bachelorette' Emily picks her hometown guys

"I am so happy to be here in Prague," says Emily Maynard, opening Monday's Bachelorette show. "I feel like I'm back in the olden days."

Yes, it's time for another city with no bikini action and no hot tubs, just lots of historic buildings, semi-trumped-up drama and Em's six guys, who will be four by the end of the night. She starts the show with:

Arie, 30, race car driver from Scottsdale, Ariz.
Chris, 25, corporate sales director from Chicago
Doug, 33, charity director/real estate agent from Seattle
Jef, 27, entrepreneur from Salt Lake City
John "Wolf," 30, data destruction specialist from St. Louis
Sean, 28, an insurance agent from Dallas

Next week is hometown-date ti me, so Prague dating must be taken seriously. "This is by far, the biggest week," says host Chris Harrison, explaining that four guys will get to take Emily home. "A huge step in any relationship."

This week, there will be four dates - three one-on-ones with no roses, just lots of cuddle time, and a group date with one rose up for grabs.

First one-on-one: Arie. Emily, dressed in sparkly silver shorts, her favorite brown boots, a beige top and a white blazer, says she has no real plan. "I just want to go and have fun and pretend like it's my husband and I on vacation in Prague and this is what we would do," she chirps.

The two stroll the streets, smooching it up. "I like to kiss Arie," says Emily, but she confesses to the cameras that "he's got a secret that he's not telling me."

Uh oh.

When the show comes back from a commercial break, Chris Harrison addresses us, the audience, saying that Arie had a "brief relationship" with Bachelor producer Cassie Lambert "several years ago." (Wetpaint.com reports that it was in 2003.) Harrison says Emily had "no idea" about the relationship when filming began, but as Emily developed feelings for Arie, the producer decided to bring it up. So, Harrison says, "We taped a sequence with Cassie interviewing Emily about this touchy subject."

Then we see the conversation. Emily doesn't look happy about the whole thing. "I feel stupid, you know?" She adds, "Had I known, it would be cool. I'm so glad you told me, but I wish it had happened first day," she says to off-camera Lambert. "I wouldn't care, but now I feel like an idiot. This isn't a production thing. This is a real-life thing."

Back to the date: Emily drops hints on Arie talking about secrets and trust. "I'm a trustworthy person," he says, adding, "It's better to be upfront and honest." Then he admits he had a tattoo with a girl's name on it, but had it covered up. That's not the "reveal" Emily was looking for.

Enter Harrison again, who explains that Emily, Arie and Cassie had an off-camera conversation about it all and now Emily's fine. We next see Arie and Emily dressed up for dinner and all is well. Time for more kissing. "I hope I get to meet your family," says Emily. "They're going to love you," says Arie.

"Can I tell you something? I've been thinking a lot about all of this and you. I think Croatia did it for me. I think I realized I love you," says Arie. "I just want you to know where my heart is. It's kinda crazy, you know." Emily smiles. "If things keep going this way, nothing will make me happier," she says.

Cue the fireworks!

"I can completely see myself marrying her," says Arie. "I'm on top of the world."

Next up: John. "I hope John realizes time is running out," says Emily, noting that John has a "bit of a guard up." They discuss it while sightseeing. They stop at the John Lennon wall, a symbol of peace and love. At one point there is a place where lovers write messages on locks and put them on the fence, explains Emily. They can't seem to get theirs to lock. She confesses that it's like their relationship - they "can't seem to connect."

Back at the hotel, Chris says he's "going a little bit crazy." He's got Bac helorette-itis, a deadly combination of boredom and jealousy as he sits around while Emily is out with John.

Meanwhile, Emily and John have dinner in a dungeon. They creep around a candlelit castle, finally winding up in cushions on the floor. John talks about a previous girlfriend who cheated on him with "this doctor dude." He says that might be why he "takes things a little slower."

He tells her he'd love to take her home. Emily and his mom, he says, "would be two peas in a pod." He tells Emily, "With us, I feel like we've taken little steps, but I like taking little steps and taking big strides toward the end. I'm not a starter; I'm a closer."

She seems to like that. He confesses, "I'm falling for Emily."

Secret sneak-out date: When John returns to the hotel, he tells the guys the date was a "10." Chris is upset, but Sean is more upset and leaves the hotel to go run around the streets of Prague, yelling, "Emily!" while cameras follow him. It's completely deserted, until, hey, there she is.

"What are you doing here," she says.

"I had to see you," says Sean, giving her a hug and a kiss.

"This is an awesome surprise."

He confesses, "Words cannot describe how good it feels to have Emily in my arms." She seems happy to see him.

"I love that Sean had the confidence to come out and find me," she confesses. "There is absolutely nobody that I'd rather see more than Sean right now. I just like hanging out with him. He makes me happy."

She tells him, "My face hurts I'm smiling so much. I'm so happy." She apologizes for putting him in the group date. "You know I want you all to myself all the time." Later, she tells cameras, "I think that he'd be a great husband."

They kiss some more, and Sean is able to return to the hotel without the guys ever finding out about his secret rendezvous.

Group date: Sean, Doug and Chris. It's raining. The guys have umbrellas and everyone hops in an open carriage. Not real fun. Chris is "pissed," to be honest, he says, because he hasn't had a date since Charlotte. They all go to an old castle.

"Are you kidding me?" says Doug, who's loving it all. "How much fun is this going to be?" In front of everyone, he thanks Emily for being a "gracious host." She steals some alone time with "sweet" Doug to see if they have that romantic spark. As they talk, he has his arms folded. Not good body language, buddy!

As they walk back to join the group, Emily tries to talk to him about how they haven't gotten close. He kisses her. But it's too late. "I have way too much respect for you to keep you from your son another day," she says. Bye-bye , nice guy. They hug and he leaves.

"I did not see that one coming today," Doug says in the car. "It's tough being a single dad trying to find the right person." (Hmm, is he Bachelor material?) He breaks down in the car, tears running down his cheeks.

So it's down to Sean and Chris for the date. Emily has a comfortable chat with Sean. They kiss and kiss, while Chris paces anxiously in another room.

"I am a little upset with you," Chris says, when he finally gets her alone. He tells her he's not happy about waiting to have a one-on-one date with her. "I was about to go crazy yesterday," he says.

She thanks him for "making the best" of things, and they kiss. "Emily makes me feel better about myself," he confesses, suddenly happy as can be.

She only has one rose, however.

"So awkward," she says. "Sean, will you accept this rose?" Absolutely he will.

Chris fumes.

Last one-on-one: Jef. They go to a marionette shop. It all seems to feel easy and Emily seems to have fun with him. She confesses that some guys think Jef isn't ready to be a dad, but she thinks he'd be a great dad "because he's just a big kid himself."

Jef gushes to the cameras about Emily. "The more I'm around her, the more I want to be around her."

They leave with two marionettes. He runs back to buy a small princess marionette for Ricki, a move that has to win him bonus points.

They head to a library to act out their relationship with the toys. "I am one hundred, one million percent in love with you," his puppet says to hers. "And I can't even imagine what I would be without you in my life. Emily, let's get a dog together." The puppets kiss and so do th eir string-pullers.

Marionettes aside, they cuddle on the library floor and coo about the future. How soon would she wants kids, he asks. "Yesterday," she says.

"Really? Me, too," Jef says.

He tells cameras, "I seriously want to grow old with her. I want to have a family with her. It's crazy. I'm completely falling for her."

He tells her, "I'm head over heels for you. I want to date you so hard and marry ... bleep!" We aren't privy to what he said, but Emily finds it highly amusing and giggles.

(Ashley Hebert tweeted: " 'I wanna date you so hard and marry the (stuff) out of you' -Jef Thats twice I laughed out loud tonight!!")

Back at the castle, anxious and tormented Chris says he's "terrified" that he'll go home. He desperately wants to talk to Emily before the rose ceremony to tell her they have a future together.

But Emily tells Chris Harrison she has her "mind made up" and doesn't want a cocktail party. "I hope that y'all aren't disappointed," she says.

Sean, Jef and Arie get roses. Just as she is about to hand out her final flower, Chris freaks and says, "Emily, I really need to talk to you." He tells her he's "dying inside." He feels like he "acted like a boy yesterday" when he didn't get a rose. He apologizes. "I'm ready to be the man that you deserve. ... I do not want this to end right now between me and you. ... I need you to know that."

Back in the room, Arie says, "Oh man, this is intense!"

She and Chris rejoin the rose ceremony and Emily bites her lip, deep in thought. She gives Chris the rose, but doesn't really look happy about it. Bye-bye, John.

"I'm the happiest man in the world right now!" Chris tells the cameras.

Emily walks John out. He tells her he's "completely shocked right now, but if you don't see it ..."