Yes, he may have snagged the first impression rose. But Tayshia Adams and Spencer Robertson's body language still has a lot of those awkward we-barely-know-each-other vibes. "I think they're into each other," Traci Brown, body language expert and author of Persuasion Point: Body Language and Speech for Influence said after analyzing images of Adams and Robertson from the Nov. 10 episode of The Bachelorette. Having said that, Brown also notes "it's pretty early in the relationship and they're not 100% comfortable with each other yet." Considering they literally just met, uh, yeah — that checks out.
Robertson, a 30-year-old water treatment engineer from La Jolla, California, is one of four new contestants who joined The Bachelorette after Clare Crawley got engaged to Dale Moss and exited the show. Adams was a vocal fan of Robertson's from the get-go, literally dubbing him “hot hot hot” as soon he got out of the limo.
The other dudes weren't his biggest fans, though, especially after he asked the group, “How many of you guys were here for Clare?" The joke fell flat, and fellow contestant Kenny Braasch went so far as to say Robertson "seems like he’s here just to be a d*ck."
But Adams had a different take. “He’s super sweet, he’s super nice and he’s cute," she said. "He’s definitely a guy I would go after."
Here's what Adams and Robertson's body language reveals about their chemistry.
"They're reaching for each other and leaning back just to get a good look at each other," Brown says. "They seem to both have super happy smiles on their faces. This is a good time for both of them."
"They're both still leaning away from each other even though they're holding hands," Brown points out, which means Adams and Robertson aren't feeling very close just yet. That's normal — comfort can grow over time. It's possible that Adams gave Robertson the first impression rose because she saw plenty of potential with him, even if they both had their guards up the night they met.
According to Brown, "It seems like he's surprised her with something he's said. This isn't their closest moment." You can tell because Adams is leaning slightly away from Robertson.
Even if their body language had a few awkward moments leading up to the presentation of the first impression rose, Robertson is clearly very interested in her. Based on his posture and eye contact, Brown says, "He's really looking to her for approval here." He wants that rose!
Notice how she guides his chin and clutches his hand? "She knows she's in control here," Brown says.
He may have that first impression rose, but he's still got some work to do in the intimacy department if he's trying to win this thing. "They're clearly having a good time playing around but he's leaning away," Brown says of this shot. "I haven't seen them super close as a team playing on even ground yet!"
Here's to hoping they develop that closeness as the season goes on.
