''Bachelorette'' Trista's 8 simple rules for dating

Trista Rehn, the physical therapist and former Miami Heat dancer otherwise known as the Bachelorette, certainly knows what it’s like to be publicly rejected — last year she was blown off by the original ”Bachelor,” smarmy Alex Michel, in front of 18 million ABC viewers. But 29-year-old Trista’s tears had hardly dried when ABC execs began plotting her romantic comeback. (The show airs Wednesdays, 9 p.m.)

The network, clearly thrilled by the success of the first season — which averaged 12 million viewers, making it one of the few bright spots at the ratings-starved network last year — approached the producers with the idea of doing a ”Bachelorette.”

When the ”Bachelor” team called her in April, just days after the original’s finale, to ask if she’d be interested in doing her own show, Rehn figured she’d give the ol’ ”find your lifemate on primetime TV” thing a second try. ”I knew the producers wanted the fairy tale at the end just as much as I did,” she explains.

Speaking of fairy tales, there’s not a chance in hell that Trista is spilling any juicy details about the man she chose. After all, her contract states she’ll be fined $5 million if she lets anything slip. But, as a nod to ABC’s other hit, she did offer 8 simple rules for dating on national television.

1. KNOW WHAT YOU WANT
Trista’s ideal man definitely has to have more than just a good heart. Without visibly inhaling, she goes off. ”I’m definitely attracted to masculine, manly, rugged men…. I want a guy to take care of me…. I’m not talking financially; I’m talking, ‘Oh, honey, do you want a drink?’ I like tall guys. I like 6′ at least, but that’s not to say I won’t date a guy that’s shorter…. I don’t like facial hair too much except a rugged, not-shaved look…. I’m not so keen on bad teeth. They don’t have to be sparkling white but not all crazy jagged.”

2. STAND FIRM ON DEALBREAKERS
Trista was an only child, so she’s all about starting a brood. ”If a guy doesn’t want a family, that’s my biggest deal breaker.” While she won’t tolerate black socks, she is willing to make exceptions for the hirsute. ”I’ve dated men with back hair and that can be taken care of.”

3. ALWAYS GET THE LAST WORD
Don’t feel too sorry for Trista because of her first unsuccessful foray into the ”Bachelor”-hood. After a few more sips, Trista confesses the show almost had a different ending. ”Alex called me right after the finale and he told me he thought he made a mistake,” she says. ”We wouldn’t have gotten engaged anyway, because after the show ended I would have seen who he really was.” Ouch. Oh, and by the way, Alex is still not engaged.