Bachelor: Will kiss only when the game is over

By Tanya Bricking
Advertiser Staff Writer

In the most public rose ceremony yet, fighting stage fright, Kelly Komoda went onstage at The Ocean Club to reveal his top three bachelorettes, from left: Brynn Leake, Lauren Sumida and Angela Hoan. Photos by Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser

The Bachelor's mom wasn't kidding when she said she might show up to spy on his dates. Here, Laura Komoda hugs her son and said she hopes he finds "Miss Perfect."

The highlight of the evening was riding in a stretch limo. Bachelor Kelly Komoda and date Lauren Sumida take a turn looking out from the top of the limo during a "celebrity" drive through Waikiki.

As bachelorettes check out shoes and pedicures in the limo, Komoda takes a phone call. The limo ride through Waikiki proved the high point of the evening as Hawai'i's Bachelor and his dates soaked up attention and celebrity status from passers-by on Kalakaua Avenue.

During a break, Jennifer Hee, no longer a date, and Brynn Leake share girl talk and laughs as they touch up their makeup.

Bachelorette Angela Hoan says there's potential for a romantic link with the Bachelor, but he's made no real attempt at that yet. More photos and videos from the third date are available on the Hawai'i's Bachelor website.

Date credits The Advertiser organized the Hawai'i's Bachelor date out on the town with help from these companies: Dinner: Morton's The Steakhouse Flowers: Bella Rosa Limo: Duke's Limousine After-dinner party: Ocean Club

• • • What's next for Hawai'i's Bachelor? After a day-spa date tomorrow, Hawai'i's Bachelor will have to cut his dating pool from three to two. On Wednesday, look for Bachelor Kelly Komoda's hints about what happened on the spa date. A week from today, we'll tell you the highlights and post more online diaries, video and pictures. The last date is next week, when Komoda will stop playing the field. Two bachelorettes will join him for dinner, but then he'll have to choose his favorite. And it better not be the food.

She showed up at Morton's The Steakhouse last weekend and made an appearance at the table where Kelly Komoda was dining with five women.

It was classic.

Laura Komoda said the bachelorettes looked much better in person. Then she asked each of her son's dates a question. It went something like this:

The Bachelor's mom, to Bachelorette Jenn Hee: "Would you do this again, knowing what you know now?"

Hee said she would, except for one thing: "My bio, I would have changed it. I would have been a little more careful, because I would know the public really gets into it. I would have been a little bit more discreet, I guess. Because everything you say is written down."

To Bachelorette Jamie Inouye: "What have you learned from this experience?"

Inouye: "To take chances and do things I wouldn't normally do."

All right, impatient readers: It probably had nothing to do with whether Hee and Inouye passed the Mom Test, but the Iolani teacher and the bachelorette from Komoda's home island of Maui didn't get roses at the end of the night, if you must know. But we're getting a little ahead of the game:

The Bachelor's mom's moment in the spotlight allowed us to turn the tables on her.

Reporter: "Mrs. Komoda, what kind of woman would you like to end up dating your son?"

Bachelor's mom: "Someone hard-working and decent, and who does what they know is right, very principled. A perfect person. (Laughs.) Miss Perfect for my perfect son."

Hawai'i's Bachelor: "Thanks, Mom."

Overheard in the limo

Forget the rose ceremony; the highlight of the third date was the limo ride.

After dinner, the atmosphere switched from the Frank Sinatra sounds of the restaurant to flamenco music in the mirror-ceilinged stretch limo. The twentysomethings quickly asked Duke's Limousine driver Don Hyeon if he had any more CDs. A little hip-hop put everyone in more of a partying mood, and Hyeon took the group on a mini-tour of Waikiki, where even tourists on Kalakaua Avenue pulled out their video cameras to catch the bachelor and his dates looking like celebrities.

Or maybe they looked like prom kids.

There was a little thing about someone calling the police because passengers were sticking their heads through the moon roof while the limo was moving, but Hyeon's boss should know he had nothing to do with those shenanigans.

Things bachelorettes were overheard shouting while participating in said shenanigans:

"Shake it, baby!"

"Wild! Is this so much fun or what? Woo-hooooo!"

"We're all Kelly's!"

"Aloha! Whoo-hooooo!"

"Hey, baby! Yeah, baby!"

Things people were overheard yelling back:

"Whewhhhhh!"

"Aloooha!"

"What school do you go to?"

"Was that the Bachelor?"

Playing the field

And if you really must know, nope, there's still no kissing and telling going on in this game.

It's all about female bonding.

It's a good thing they can talk among themselves, because Komoda is still taking cell-phone calls during dates.

And he says he's not going to try to kiss anyone until after the game is over.

Of those left in the game, Angela Hoan (a former Miss Waikiki) says she might feel some chemistry toward the Bachelor; fellow teacher Brynn Leake says it's surprising how much they have in common, and fashion student Lauren Sumida says she's still trying to figure out what makes Komoda tick.

Hee and Inouye didn't have much of a chance to find out. They were prepared to be dismissed.

Hee didn't quite feel the love — for the bachelor or anyone else. She was tired of being in the limelight. The game was causing her unexpected hassles (mostly from people who didn't get her sarcasm) and making her into a smarty-pants caricature she didn't like. She asked that Komoda deny her a rose, and he obliged.

As for Inouye, frankly, she didn't feel the love for Komoda, either. Despite their Maui connection, there was no love connection.

The rose ceremony probably was more painful for Komoda than it was for anyone else.

Maybe it was stage fright in the public arena of The Ocean Club, or maybe it was because we asked him to announce all of the bachelorettes' names before he made his choices. But it was kind of ugly. It started when he blanked on Lauren's last name. A few people began to boo, and it seemed like the crowd might turn on the Bachelor.

But after a fast-paced "Brynn," "Lauren. I forgot Lauren's last name, but she got a rose," and "Angela," Komoda did his best to quickly get offstage.

That's the last time we'll make him do that in front of so many people. The next date is at a day spa. At least Komoda should be relaxed when he has to make his next cut.

E-mail comments or advice for the Bachelor to hawaiisbachelor@honoluluadvertiser.com.