After gracing the pages of FHM in 2003, Mayra Veronica became the Marine’s favorite pinup model and one of the most downloaded women on the Internet. Now the former Univision hostess is set to conquer the international pop charts with upcoming English and Spanish albums—and, best of all, she’s single.

Welcome back, Mayra.
I missed you guys. It’s amazing to be able to shoot with FHM again.

We missed you too. So how did it feel to be voted No. 12 on FHM’s 100 Sexiest Women in the World list this year?
I was actually pretty surprised. I started out at 99, then I moved up to 88, then 67. I was thinking, ‘That’s pretty much it. I’m not going to go any higher.’ They surprised me this year with No. 12, which is pretty high considering it’s a very important list with a lot of A-list celebrities on there. It’s awesome.

You just signed a major record deal. Tell us about it.
I just signed with CMG/Universal/Motown. It was a multimillion dollar deal and I’m very happy with it. I’m going to record some Spanish music first, but I’m definitely coming out with an English record towards the end of the year.

What will the album sound like? Can we expect some babymaking music?
There will be a little bit of babymaking music, yeah. That’s a good way to put it. The album has a pop urban sound. I’m going to be working with Akon, Snoop Dogg and Pitbull on it.

What’s the sexiest song of all time?
I love that song “Brick House” by The Commodores. It makes me feel sexy when I’m taking pictures for a photo shoot.

What kind of music should a guy put on if he’s trying to set the right mood?
Definitely some jazz. I love jazz. Enya’s music is hot too. And I absolutely love “Wicked Game” by Chris Isaak. That’s my favorite song and my favorite video. I actually just did a video for one of my Spanish ballads with the “Wicked Game” theme.

Sounds hot. What do you look for in a guy?
I don’t like very hyper, talkative guys. I like serious guys. They have to have a sense of humor, but I like them to be mysterious and on the quiet side. I like looking into somebody’s eyes and feeling that there’s something else deep in there.

You’re one of the most downloaded women on the Internet. Do any of those computer nerds have a shot with you?
I would say anybody has a shot right now because I’m single and searching. I work so much that it’s hard to find time to date.

I’m sure some of our soldiers wouldn’t mind taking you out. You have a huge military following.
I love the soldiers. They were the ones that put me on the map in a lot of ways. When I first appeared in FHM, the soldiers made a big deal about it. The Marines voted me their favorite pinup girl. I was actually a little bit upset because I was supposed to go on a USO tour. It got cancelled after Saddam Hussein was killed, which I guess was a good thing.

Yeah, Saddam was a dick. Anyway, what is it that makes Cuban women so sexy?
I would definitely say the curves. I’m happy to be in an era where we’re bringing the curves back. We’re bringing sexy back. And Cubans, like most Latins, are known for their temper. I have a pretty bad temper sometimes.

What happens when somebody gets on your bad side? Ever have to lay the smack down?
I just cut people out of my life. I don’t like having people around that bring negativity.

Any run-ins with celebrities?
I was a celebrity reporter for Univision, so I had the opportunity to interview everyone from Donald Trump to Dennis Rodman to Burt Reynolds. I had this whole different perception of Donald Trump. I thought he was going to be a stuck-up jerk, but he was the nicest guy. Rodman surprised me, though. I interviewed him twice and the first night it was at dinner, so he was really relaxed and really nice. But the next time was at a club and he had been partying for a while. He was out there.

How do you deal with a drunken Rodzilla?
Professionally.

Mayra Veronica’s Latin album Vengo Con To is out now. Look for her English album early next year.