“Nope,” he replies, so I nod and begin the processes of filling the cup with water, turning to pour it into the pot with the beans, and repeating until there’s enough inside.
“Very good. Now, I got you the Instant Pot Ultra. There are a few other models, but I wanted you to have the quickest one to cook your meals with, so you’d be less tempted to choose a frozen meal.” He winks, and internally I melt, but on the outside, I stick my tongue out at him, making him chuckle. “We close the lid, select Pressure Cook mode, and set the timer for five minutes.” He does all of those things, and then gestures toward it like he’s a model on The Price is Right. “Would you like to do the honors?” he asks, pointing toward the Start button when my face is confused.
I shake my head at his antics then give in to the smile wanting to break free across my face. “Why not,” I murmur and reach across him to push the button, my forearm brushing against his rigid stomach, which makes my core clench just thinking about what it must look like beneath his stark-white polo shirt that does amazing things for his surfer boy good looks. I try to put my hormones in check, knowing I’m having a natural reaction as a woman to his obvious virility.
I don’t realize I’m staring until he asks gently, “You okay?”
I blink, clearing my throat. “Uh, yeah. The whites of your eyes are just… really, really white,” I say, facing the island and grabbing the empty plastic bag to have something to do with my hands.
“Ummm… thanks?” He chuckles, and I look up at him once more, seeing the curious look.
I roll my eyes, propping my hip against the island and facing him, crossing my arms over my chest before I explain, “I’m a psychologist, as we established earlier. And I was momentarily distracted by your many features that completely explain why most of the women on your show end up tripping over themselves and stuttering in your presence. You have one hundred percent of the attributes associated with virility.”
“Virility? Like… what? Manliness?” He puffs out his chest and then runs his hand through his blond hair, making it stand in all different directions but somehow causing it to be even sexier than it already was.
“Sort of. It’s the quality of having strength, energy, and a strong sex drive. Masculinity in its purest form. It’s associated with vigor, health, sturdiness, and one’s ability to father children. It’s the male equivalent to a woman’s fertility,” I explain, my heart doing its usual pang when I refer to the subject.
Suddenly, he steps closer, his hand reaching out to lift my chin when otherwise I’d be looking away in order to hide the twinge of pain he obviously saw in my eyes. “You all right, sugar?”
One side of my mouth quirks up at the sweet endearment. “Yeah. Totally.”
He has mercy on me in front of the crew and more importantly the camera, and drops the subject, a look of promise in his eyes telling me that he will be bringing this up in the future if he gets the chance.
The timer goes off, saving us from any awkwardness. “It’s done already?” I ask.
“Not quite,” he replies. “Now we wait for the Natural Pressure Release, or NPR. When this little float valve drops that means it’s safe to open it.”
“Safe? What, is it just like… really hot or something?” I ask. A cook, I am not. I have no clue how any of these fancy gadgets work. A microwave is about as technological as I get in the kitchen.
“A pressure cooker works by literally building pressure inside of it as the water begins to boil. The boiling water produces steam, and since it’s trapped inside, completely sealed off, it causes the temperature to rise. The high temp and the pressure cause everything to cook quickly. So if you suddenly just busted open a pressure cooker without letting it release slowly, it could cause an explosion. And all that hot liquid inside plus flying parts could cause burns and all sorts of injuries and damage,” he explains.
My eyebrows shoot up. “Hm. Noted.”
“Since we have time while we wait for the NPR, why don’t you tell me what these other virile features are?” he asks with a grin, propping his hip against the island and turning his towering body to face me.
“Well, there are the obvious ones. A narrow waist, a V-shaped torso, broad shoulders, and the fact you’re just… stupidly tall. But then there are smaller details, like the facial features that are built by testosterone. The strong, square jaw, a prominent brow ridge, high cheekbones. It all points to a healthy male who can make babies. Men with higher testosterone tend to be healthier, which women are biologically more inclined to be attracted to. So features indicating health point to a virile male as well. Nice, straight, white teeth, super clear eyes, clean and groomed hair, including facial hair, those sorts of things,” I clarify.