After another sip, Vi noted that her glass was already half empty, something she was entirely grateful for. A heat had started to bubble up in her stomach, making her legs and arms feel a little funny and her face feel a little hot. She wished she could finish the rest without actually having to taste it, but she was determined to get it down either way. “A little bit of both, seeing as you’ll always be the girl who blocked my view, and now you’ll always be known for trying to poison me on television.” She tapped on the side of the mug twice to give CJ a visual indication before shrugging. “Okay, then. You’re annoying.”
The words hit Vi like a truck. “Oh? I didn’t know I was in the presence of sports royalty.” She was somewhere between halfway sarcastic and halfway honest, but the longer she looked on at CJ, the more she could see all the signs. The perfectly toned body that peeked out from under her shirt as she stretched, the blonde hair that had probably only become blonder in the sun, the smell of the ocean that touched everything in the room. The cockiness to her voice. Of course she was so confident. With the laundry list of things she had going for her, she probably had women throwing themselves at her left and right.
She accepted the blanket and pillow with a quiet “thank you,” before re-positioning herself and laying the fluffy blanket out over herself. If she didn’t feel like she’d be crossing a line, she would offer some to CJ, but seeing as they were both strangers and Violet had just been given the invitation to sit on the blonde’s lap, she figured it would be better not to muddy the waters. “There’s really nothing wrong with Virginia. I just don’t need to be there any longer. I feel like I’ve learned everything I can learn and seen everything I can see. There’s a certain monotony to staying in the same place you’ve lived your whole life. I don’t need some grand adventure or anything, but I would like to experience life in a different region.” She settled back against the edge of the bed, allowing herself to get more comfortable. “You’d have to go back?” She repeated, curiosity leaking from the words.
The laugh that bubbled out of CJ’s mouth was enough to send a chill up Violet’s spine, setting her on alert. It was the kind of laugh she’d heard from her kids - it was innocent and light-hearted and buoyant. Violet thought she could fall in love with the sound of it, if she let herself. “I have nothing against Chopped. I adore Alex Guarnaschelli, though I feel a bit more in the mood for Anne Burrell, especially seeing how this is a show for women who love women. We should represent.”
The ping of her nail against the mug grabs CJ’s attention. She rolls her eyes at the admittance. “See, was telling the truth so hard?” she challenges, raises an eyebrow and practically begs Violet to admit anything about the tension between them.
Sports royalty. CJ wishes. Uncharacteristically shy, as she tends to be about her semi-flopping career nowadays, she shakes her head vigorously. “Nah. I just, y’know, surf, professionally.” she attempts to steer the conversation away from her. “If you want to talk to real sports royalty, I’d find Coyote. You’ll know her instantly. Tall, blonde. Probs naked,” she uses her hands to talk, a nervous instinct in this aspect. “Cutest dog with her. She’s amazing — I learned everything I could from her.”
“That makes sense,” she’s happy when they fall back to conversation on hometowns. “About Virginia, at least. Can’t say that about California. Just when I think I’ve explored all of Los Angeles, something new pops up.” CJ leans back on her elbows, curiously eyeing Violet. “What do you count as a grand adventure, though? Anything’s a grand adventure if it puts you out of your comfort zone, in my opinion.”
Practically humming from the alcohol at this point, and as someone who has trouble hiding her emotions, Claire lets out an audible what?! “You’re kidding! Turn it on. I had no idea Anne Burrell was into women. Dude, I hate her — can’t believe I’m gonna have to love her now.” she laughs, switching to the channel just underneath Chopped, playing America's Worst Cooks. “I’m Team Bobby Flay all the way, not sorry about it.” Then. “I shipped Alex Guarnaschelli and Amanda Freitag in my early 20s, I’m not going to lie.”
