You’re not a couple?
Jacob: We have a wonderful working relationship.
So you don’t mind posing for the photo together?
Jacob: We get right up in there at work so we’re not scared.
What were your initial reactions to being asked to be on the Lust List?
Mariel: No.
Jacob: A little embarrassed at first. I was quickly Googling to find out what the hell a Lust List was.
Glassblowing is a sexy profession. True or false?
JS: Some artists take it on. The real famous ones oil themselves up.
Mariel: I want to start a Facebook page for his forearms. But he doesn’t want to do it.
The jargon is sexy, right? “Glory hole,” “hot steel rods”…
Jacob: And the infamous “bench blow” [in which one glassblower is seated on a bench molding the pipe, as the other, kneeling, blows on it].
Mariel: He’ll say, “Faster… Harder… Now stop.”
Or is it the actual technique that’s sexy? The patience, the potential danger…
Mariel: Patience is definitely there. Molten glass looks dangerous, but we know how to handle it. The real danger is dehydration.
Jacob: In the summer, it gets nasty.
You blow glass before an audience at the Hot Shop. Do you ever get hit on ?
Mariel: I’ve had one marriage proposal. He didn’t have a ring, though, so I don’t think he was serious.
Jacob: I’ve been asked out after the show a couple of times.
Did you accept?
Jacob: Yes. Why not?
What’s the biggest turn-on for you about glass-blowing?
Jacob: I blow glass because chicks dig it. [But seriously…] I like the pace of glassblowing. It’s like a sport. Once you start, you have to perform. You don’t get a break until the piece is done… It’s like the ER. Glassblowers are attracted to intense situations.
And what turns you on about other people?
Mariel: He’ll say sweaty forearms.
Jacob: Motivation. Career aspiration. Knowing what you want. Creative — perhaps a rulebreaker.
What feature about yourself do you like the most?
Mariel [long pause]: I like to go to work?
Jacob: I like Mariel’s beautiful blue eyes.
Why aren’t you two in a relationship? You’re perfect for each other.
Mariel (jokingly): We’ll talk about it later.
