If you thought Eric Bigger had an unfair advantage meeting Rachel Lindsay at the After the Rose special before filming officially started, stop reading now. The Bachelorette star told Life & Style exclusively that he actually met Rachel at the gym right after being cast on the reality dating competition.

“I live in LA and I think Rachel was in LA at the time, and I have a gym that I train at. I walk into the gym one day and there’s Rachel,” the personal trainer revealed. “So I actually saw her prior to the time I was supposed to see her. So when I got out of the limo, that was actually the third time seeing her.” As expected, the outspoken third place runner-up did go up to the 32-year-old attorney to introduce himself.

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“She was training outside with her trainer. She came in and I said, ‘Rachel, I see you working hard,'” he said while mimicking a high five. “I said, ‘You look good,’ and then I told her I would see her soon…. and that was it.”

If you don’t think their run-in was meant to be, just wait because it was also his birthday week when the fated meeting took place. Seriously, how did she not pick him?!

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Now that The Bachelorette is over, Eric, 29, also opened up about his plans post-reality show — and fans can expect to see more of the Baltimore native. “Just life in general,” he said of what he is looking forward to next. “In life, for myself, I’m a go-getter, I like to create and that’s what I did in the house. I was trying to create the relationship, force the relationship. When I let the relationship come to me, that’s when I evolved. Who knows what can happen.”

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I fell in love with two girls and don't know which one to give my rose to? @thelilgremlins stole my ❤️!! #dogs #puppy #chihuahuasofinstagram #ericbigger #bacheloretteabc #ilovedogs

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He continued, “I love people, I love giving back, I love helping but I just let it all come… I’m open.”

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