Young men of the Twin Cities: Meet our very own Zooey Deschanel. Our Jenny Lewis. Hell, let's just call her our archetypal indie babe. The woman in question? Becca Bates. She works in the office at First Avenue and rides a fixed-gear bike, her back is one sprawling tattoo, and the girl can handle her whiskey. Lest we forget, her striking red tresses, flirty bangs and playfully seductive eyes entice on a purely biological level. Are your skinny jeans getting tighter yet?

"I feel like my life just started in the past four years," says Becca -- 24 years old, 5 feet 4 with silky white skin -- over coffee at Muddy Waters in Uptown. Indeed, her transformation from an all-state goalie at the Academy of Holy Angels in Richfield, where she admittedly knew nothing about music, has been drastic. Following a two-year stint at Auburn University in Alabama, Bates returned home "angry and sad" and applied at First Ave on a whim. Today she prowls the Uptown standbys (C.C. Club, Common Roots), loves "any loud" music (especially metal) and gives indie boys whiplash as she zips by on her fixie, always sporting a selection from her prized cowboy-boot collection.

But this undeniably worthy victor in Vita.mn's 2010 Hotness Search is more than eye candy; she's substantive and disarmingly charming. "I like that no one really knows about it," Becca says of her tattoo. "People get to know me, then they find out I have this massive back tattoo." The ink in question is inspired by cult author Tom Robbins' "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" and is of an obvious bohemian bent -- a trait equally detectable in Becca. "It doesn't improve my life whatsoever to sit and bash on Sarah Palin or give a shit what some politician is saying," she says, adding that the visceral and the tangible are most important, quickly interjecting, "And no, I don't smoke weed," with a laugh. One thing that is important to Bates is her lust for travel. "I will be in debt for millions of years to feed that bug," she says, elaborating on recent trips to California, Texas, Canada and Germany.

Still, the aforementioned charms are what really jump out. Ask Bates which celebrity she resembles; "Halle Berry," is her reply, entirely deadpan. Why does she deserve the Hotness crown? "I'm the hottest goddamn bitch you'll ever meet," is her retort, with a giggle and accompanying jest. She's a conversational ace, equal parts witty, adorable and fun.

Bates isn't overly discriminating when it comes to men. "If you have some sort of drive, it doesn't matter what you do," she says, adding that a college degree isn't required, much to her parents' chagrin. She's relatively equal-opportunity when it comes to body type, too. "I don't want, like, a crazy body builder," Bates explains. "Those people are scary." But she does admit to crushing on her brother's rugby buddies growing up and, sadly, has a relatively new boyfriend, a professional snowboarder whom she describes as a perfectly built, natural athlete ... the bastard.

Despite a job where she describes her co-workers as family, a stud-athlete boyfriend and the distinction of being the Twin Cities' hottest female, don't expect Bates to stick around forever. She's no fan of Minnesota winters, she harbors a deep passion for the gentility of the South, and there's that pesky travel bug to contend with. So boys, take up snowboarding ASAP and get in your passes at this certifiably smokin' indie catnip -- but Becca Bates is in a position to be as choosy as she wants. If all life truly is a stage, Becca is the female lead in "500 Days of Summer," and we're just grateful chumps along for the ride.