And now for a little backstage "Bachelor" intrigue.

In Wednesday night's episode of ABC's "The Bachelor," Jesse Palmer's college friend Jenny Schiralli, 26, a swim instructor and nanny from Chapel Hill, N.C., was revealed to the audience as his spy, infiltrating the Ladies' Villa to gather intelligence for the New York Jets quarterback.

While Jesse, who must ultimately choose the woman who is right for him, seems to be overwhelmed by 28-year-old model Trish (after disregarding Jenny's warnings about her), he has followed his pal's suggestions -- leading to him giving a rose to Oklahoman Tara, 23.

"I know he listens to me, but I don't know how much he takes my advice," Jenny tells PEOPLE. "I do know he ... does trust me."

Trish, who received last week's first rose, was permitted a solo date with Jesse, while the others were confined to group dates, starting with seven who accompanied him on a Lake Tahoe sledding trip. In no time at all, Jesse was getting some action in a hot tub.

Poolside, Trish came off a little tough ("Marry rich, order out, hire a nanny, hire a trainer," she said with spy Jenny listening in).

"She's confident, and that attracts me a lot," opines Jesse.

On the group date, Kristi, 23, took herself out of the game, telling Jesse she doesn't see herself with him for the long-run. What was behind her move? Says spy Jenny, who happened to be her roommate: "Most of the women were head over heels in love, but she took a step back and was like, I don't think he's right for me. She talked about it with me constantly.

"I admire Kristi for what she did, because all the girls believe in soul mates along the lines of love at first sight -- and in this situation there is going to be 24 girls who don't end up with Jesse and one who does."

What Kristi's carefully digested decision boiled down to, Jenny tells PEOPLE, is that "after she got a chance to know him, she really felt as though he's a wonderful guy but not for her -- and she is not the woman for him -- so she very maturely made it clear that he needed to give a rose to someone other than herself." Besides, Kristi "did not want to take the place of someone having feelings (for) him that she did not have."

Concludes Jenny: "As a friend to Jesse ... I thought, what a classy woman to be able to take a step back and look at the long run. That tells you (about) the quality of women on the show."

In the end, with Tara and Trish selected, roses also went to Jessica B., Mandy Jaye, Karen, Suzie, the female Jesse and Julie.