Valerie's eyes remained focused on the menu reader. It was cute how she was so desperately trying to act unimpressed, as if somehow pretending to ignore someone gave her credibility. Interacting with people on a daily basis, a large percent of said people being movers and shakers in the world of mass media, had given Valerie a bit of insight into social interactions. She simply treated everything like a business meeting, though when it came to socializing the end goal of the meeting wasn't to secure a million dollar contract. Though it still involved numbers. Granted, if such a social call was to be made, Valerie certainly wouldn't make it here, amidst a crowd that allowed scruffy college slobs to walk around. 

To that end, the menu woman was just another obstacle. A nay-sayer in a business deal who was holding out for something more beneficial. Judging from the body language, Valerie figured that the woman was clearly perturbed, or else annoyed, by the presence of someone like Valerie. Perhaps a night to unwind was being ruined. Perhaps a stressful day had been in her schedule and a club like this was doing very little to remove said stress. Maybe, and this was clearly a long shot, but maybe a bad break up had happened recently and she was still going through that 'angry at the world' phase. 

Whatever it was, Valerie paid it little mind. Let the woman act as cool as she wanted to. The only one impressed was herself. 

"Lia, hmm?" Valerie repeated the name given by the make at the table as she took another sip from her glass. "You don't look French, so...Italian, then. As a name, the..three hundred and fifty first most popular name for a girl as of four years ago. Or, perhaps that's just a cute nickname between friends, like 'Chuck' for Charlie or 'Dick' for Richard. Not many names have the diminutive form 'Lia', but the most popular is Amelia, which was the ninth most popular girl's name in Australia of all places as of last year. You know, Amelia, it's funny that you mention the lack of kids, and not just because it makes you sound like you're compensating. Amelia is German in origin and the meaning of the name, or one of them apart from 'industrious' is, and I am being absolutely serious here, your name means 'fertile'."

Valerie paused to let her little speech settle in, meeting the woman's smirk with a nonplussed grin shot back towards her. "Of course, I could be totally wrong, but I doubt that. Etymology is something of a hobby of mine. It's a hit at parties. Which, judging from your general attitude and desire to blow me off for whatever misguided reasons, I'll bet you've not been to many. Parties, that is. Go ahead, keep up the Little Miss Too Cool routine. You're only, what, late twenties? It stopped being cute or a desirable trait after high school, darling. And with that attitude, the only celebrity you'd ever have a shot with is a childhood star who peaked at age nine and spent his teen years on a downward spiral only to be put into rehab by age eighteen. Because he would be on the same level of maturity as you in this very moment."

Another sip from her glass. 

"But even then only as a booty call. Which, hey, if you want to order greasy bar food will work out wonderfully. Because it'll make your ass balloon." 

If the two of them wanted to play the catty game, so be it. Not the best use of her intellect, but it could provide amusement. For a minute or so.