I don't believe in love at first sight.

And I'll open up to people only after I warm up to them.

Miss Mindy Chia, 32, gave this rare insight into her personal preferences and dating style after being extremely shy and reticent for most of the group date with celebrity hunk Mike Kasem.

She kept quiet while the other women - Magdalene Tan, Susanna Revi, Ayu Omar, Rehanah Bee, Tyeisha Ayub and Serene Chua - were joking around, but explained that she has been this way her whole life.

But after Kasem, 39, chose her as his final girl, she bowed slightly and softly told him: "Thanks Mike for picking me."

On their one-on-one Valentine's Day date that lasted three hours till 2.30am, the American radio personality - who is based in Singapore - said he tried to get her to open up to him.

But when Miss Chia was asked to put her hand on his shoulder for a photograph, she yelped and backed away, shaking her head.

Kasem, who looked both amused and frustrated at the same time, told her in jest: "That's my shoulder, it's not my penis."

She giggled softly and relented, doing the pose in the end after much persuasion.

Recalled Miss Chia: "I think Mike is so funny, what he said was hilarious. I'm not offended at all."

But it's just the beginning for the couple, who have expressed a strong mutual attraction for each other.

Kasem asked her out for dinner after their Valentine's Day introduction, hoping that she'll warm up to him even more on their second date.

Said Miss Chia: "Mike is very charming and I am very drawn to his character. "I can see that he's working hard in his career.

Liked what she heard

"When I signed up for this, I didn't know who Mike was, so after that I downloaded a radio application and I listened to him and liked what I heard.

"As a woman, I can't wait to get married and have kids but it has to be with the right guy."

Miss Chia, who works in the service industry, wrote in to win a date with Kasem because this was her first Valentine's Day in Singapore and the first time she has been single in her adult life.

In previous years, she had been overseas on holiday.

She was last attached a year ago to her boyfriend of seven years. They spilt up because she wanted to get married but he wasn't ready for it.

Kasem himself was engaged a few years back to a Texan woman in the US, but he broke it off because she "changed" after he proposed.

Two years ago, he moved to Singapore to become a deejay and hasn't looked back since.

Said Kasem: "I picked Mindy because I felt that she and I are at the right points in our lives to explore something together...

"When she was walking next to me for our private date, I just thought I can't believe how gorgeous she is. I am unbelievably attracted to her.

"I think there's something there but I hope she starts to talk more so I can really get to know her.

"My family in the US is a boisterous bunch and I would love to take someone home who could join in the conversation and have a great time with them."

But what Kasem wasn't privy to was Miss Chia's sense of humour - when he's not around, that is.

She admitted that she didn't have much of an appetite during the dinner because she was extremely nervous, and showed her lighter side when only the women were present.

Holding flowers in her hand, Miss Chia bent slightly and what she said next - "I'm going to go down on one knee, present him with the flowers and say 'Will you marry me?'" - cracked the party up.

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