Casually leaning over their balcony at the Eden Roc at Cap Cana hotel in the Dominican Republic, Juan Pablo Galavis tenderly kissed Nikki Ferrell’s shoulder as she flashed him a flirtatious smile. Hours later, the pair frolicked in the turquoise waters before getting all dolled up to attend his pal’s wedding on the tropical island on March 15. But it was all for show. “They sold an exclusive set of photos of their vacation and are splitting the profits,” reveals a source. “It was their idea.” Despite Juan Pablo and Nikki’s insistence that they’re a private, devoted couple — and Nikki’s awkward admission that he still hasn’t told her he loves her — the relationship between the most controversial Bachelor ever and his top pick is more business than romance. “They both want to be famous,” says a show insider. “That’s one thing they have in common: They love the spotlight.”
Part-time sports consultant Juan Pablo, 32, and Nikki, an aspiring model, 27, would have faded into obscurity if they’d called it quits before the finale aired on March 10. And Juan Pablo wasn’t about to let that happen, says the show insider. So he’s been busy setting up deals on his own since he no longer wants to work with ABC or the show’s producers, whom he’s accused of editing him to look bad. “He’s already done two set-up photo shoots with Nikki and is looking to book more,” a source says of El Bachelor and “mi catira” (“my blonde”), as he calls her. “He knows he has to move now while people are still talking about him. For Juan Pablo, Nikki is just a prop.”
For her part, the pediatric nurse from Missouri may just be trying to save face after declaring her love on live TV to a guy who refused to use the “L” word himself — and who slept with two other women in three days on the show, who a source claims includes her own new BFF, Andi Dorfman (the next Bachelorette). “He’s a different person than she thought,” says the insider, adding that the season’s resident mean girl seems willing to settle for fame if she can’t have a fiancé. Even her family admits it isn’t serious between them. “We knew a lot of it was just for the cameras,” her sister-in-law’s father, Donald Kendall, tells The Gossip Table. “I’m not really sure if they will ever get married.”
Juan Pablo’s cousin, however, insists their feelings are real. “They’re very happy,” says Rodolfo Soules, a radio DJ on Houston’s 104.9 FM, adding that his cousin and Nikki will soon be staying with him in Houston, where, according to Rodolfo, the former soccer player is scheduled to throw out the first pitch at an Astros game — another public appearance that’s sure to be filled with smiles and hugs. “She’s a really nice girl. I hope it works out for the best for them.” Don’t count on it. “They’ll milk this and then in a couple of months they’ll say they’re broken up,” says the show insider. “After that, I don’t think anyone will ever hear about either one of them ever again.”
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