The heat is on at Bravo’s Love Hotel, and we’re not just talking in terms of romance.
Shannon Storms Beador and Gizelle Bryant are going head-to-head (and perhaps head over heels) since both have their eyes on one man. His name is Ralph, and he is one of the handsome, successful, and eligible bachelors after the Housewives’ hearts.
In the Season 1 premiere, the women from The Real Housewives of Orange County and The Real Housewives of Potomac, respectively, debriefed after a group hangout, exchanging details of their experiences with the single men. Along with RHOP’s Ashley Darby and The Real Housewives of New York City’s Luann de Lesseps, each Housewife had to choose just one man to ask out on a one-on-one date the following day (insert Shannon’s look of terror here).
Shannon admitted to producers Ralph was her “number one,” but she also weighed out the idea of having more personal time with “Earl the Pearl,” who caught everyone's attention with his white alligator shoes.
But, by the end of Season 1, Episode 1, Gizelle wanted Ralph for herself.
Who did Shannon ask out on a date?
Shannon said there was “something about him,” which was precisely why she went on a date with Earl. It helped that the 59-year-old legal consultant from Lawrenceville, Georgia interrupted the girls-only chat to bring Shannon a drink.
“Guess who stole Shannon’s heart,” Luann laughed.
“Get your husband, girl!” Gizelle playfully said.
Later, Shannon and the widower enjoyed a romantic wine and cheese tasting, while Gizelle sought “transparency, accountability, and sexual proficiency” in her date, Jay. Jay is a 46-year-old marketing director and divorced father from Boston, though time will tell if he can get “the juices of Gizelle” flowing.
Following their one-on-one dates, the Housewives returned to the luxurious Mexican resort to reunite with the dateless rest. Shannon paired up with Ralph for a drink, despite her reservations about dating more than one man at a time.
“You don’t owe Earl anything,” Luann told Shannon. “We’re at the Love Hotel. This is the place where you can.”
What we know about Ralph
Ralph is a 61-year-old sound system specialist who once toured the world with rock bands. Raised in New York but now living in Nashville, he checked into Bravo’s Love Hotel, hoping to find his “last, one great love.”
Shannon liked this about her new romantic interest, as both agreed they had only “one more shot.”
Before picking Earl for a first date, Shannon confessed to the Housewives that she “liked Ralph better.”
“It makes perfect sense that Shannon likes Ralph,” Ashley told Gizelle in their confessional. “Ralph is the tallest, the hottest … You can take him to the country club.”
Gizelle agreed.
“He’s got a good face,” Luann told producers separately. “I think everybody likes Ralph.”
Gizelle wants to get to know Ralph, too
By the end of the night, Gizelle and Ralph had their first sit-down as the group continued to mingle. Shannon looked on while casually sitting with Gizelle’s date, Jay.
“Listen, there’s Jay, and there’s seven other men," Gizelle told producers. "So, I’m not putting all my eggs in Jay’s basket. I just met the basket.”
As Gizelle and Ralph found a quiet corner to sit and speak in private, Shannon found herself at a loss for words.
“Wait, what is he doing?” the RHOC castmate asked Jay while looking over Ralph and Gizelle.
Shannon had more to say later in her confessional:
“I’m insecure because Gizelle is beautiful,” she confessed. “So, you know, you wanna be liked, and what if they don’t?”
Gizelle’s attraction to Ralph was just as surprising for her.
“You know, I didn’t see Ralph coming,” she said. “But he’s here, and you know what? Ralph is a cutie pie.”
Of course, more to come as Bravo’s Love Hotel continues, including when both women choose Ralph at the same time for another date. Plus, don’t miss when Gizelle boldly warns Shannon, “Yes, I’m gonna take your man,” as teased in the show’s First Look.
