Seriously, things are getting downright steamy on Below Deck’s ninth season. Wes O’Dell and Jessica Albert have a casual flirtation, although it hasn't yet come to its full fruition. Jake Foulger made out with fellow deckhand Rayna Lindsey – before he was named the official bosun by Captain Lee and Eddie Lucas. And in the latest episode, Foulger, Lindsey and Fraser Olender lean all the way into a 3-way makeout session in the hot tub, which is technically a better scenario than what happened in the franchise’s last hot tub. Now, Olender has shared a status update concerning his relationship (fling? friendship?) with Foulger.
Per usual, there was a lot of alcohol involved in the 3-way kiss in question. But the Season 9 trailer suggests that it might not just be a flirty one-off. On that front, Fraser Olender recently filled in Showbiz Cheatsheet that he has still kept in contact with the bosun since the season wrapped filming. The Bravo star teased some kind of future, whatever the case may be, saying:
Jake and I have a really strong bond and a great relationship. ... Jake is going to be in my heart for as long as I can see down the line. But I’m still good friends with all of them.
If we’re reading between the lines, it sounds as though their connection went beyond just a drunken hookup between co-workers on their night off. Or, to say it another way, it didn’t become completely ruined, which is actually saying a lot for Below Deck.
The freshman franchise star continued that Jake Foulger, actually “couldn't be further” from his “type.” But at the same time, he thinks Foulger has a “wonderful personality” and is “funny” and “witty” and “kind.” Apparently, they became so close on the show because of their shared “British banter.” It has been suggested in teasers, too, that their aforementioned 3-way kiss eventually turns into a 1-on-1 thing between them. On what's to come, Olender only stated:
I don’t want to spoil anything and I don’t want to give too much away. But things start to happen onboard. And it sort of begins to create a really interesting and fun storyline throughout the rest of the season. But at the moment, we’re just getting to know each other and being extremely flirtatious.
Tricky romantic entanglements are the bread and butter of this franchise. And as any fan or castmate can tell you, boatmances typically don't end well. Just ask Sailing Yacht’s Dani Soares, who has been raising her newborn daughter on her own after the relationship with co-star/father of her child, Jean-Luc Cerza-Lanaux, went south.
There's still a lot of this season left to be had on Below Deck. Chef Rachel Hargrove has been steadily delivering her classic NSFW one-liners (that apparently have paid her rent in full in the past). And Jake Foulger ended the last episode by dropping a pretty big bomb, something about being engaged at the time of filming… To find out what happens, tune into Bravo on Mondays at 9 p.m. EST!
