Author's notes: Judith tries to make herself a comfy night.

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Downstairs Judith had made herself comfy on the sofa with two blankets, two pillows and the crackling of the slowly dying fire. That tattered old book that seemed to lay on the coffee table for decorational purposes only was indeed no real distraction. War and Peace is not the stuff you would like to read after a lighthearted shopping tour with some Prosecco.

Judith thought about Barbara and Tommy upstairs. She listened carfully but heard no more sounds after they went across the corridor and closed the door behind them. Well apart from Barbara's laughing after some short while.

They're some lucky ones. she smiled to herself and immediately scolded herself for earwigging.

Then she remembered that there was someone, momentarily stuck with business on the other side of the globe, who she wants to have the same with but who didn't know of yet. She didn't tell him yet, that is. They were some kind of working partners like that couple in the master bedroom and Judith had a crush on William for some time now but they hadn't even dated properly yet. It had been just a little flirting at some brunches and lunches and some dinners. And yes, also at some theatre plays, and some concerts. Hm, well, we meet very often in private. Judith believed that there was something special between them. No one called him Liam, that's her own special name for him. And nobody else dares to call me Jay. She smiled.

There still remained that boundary between them but Judith could swear that at some of the last dinners he seemed to be deepening the flirtatiousness in their talks.

With those blue eyes of his and that lovely wrinkling of his nose right before he's going to laugh. With butterflies in her belly Judith thought of those occasions where she nearly had tugged him down to kiss him. Even at the office. Well, and at some parties lately and at some evenings in the same hotel when I couldn't sleep afterwards with having him just on the other side of the wall.

There was a huge amount of occasions she had let slip away unused.

Judith chuckled, suddenly clearly seeing the parallels. I shouldn't wait as long as they did.

Though for now it being late she pushed that thought aside and soon fell asleep.

In the middle of the night, sometime in the very early morning, she woke up due to all the liquid she has had the previous evening and went to the loo. On her way through the darkness back to the sofa she heard the toilet flushing upstairs.

Somebody has had as much Prosecco as I've had. she thought amused.

Oh, and beer. She heard it flushing a second time and then drifted back into sleepy mode again.

After a while the silence upstairs turned into some rustling and rumbling, she could hear muffled sounds and tried hard to keep her focus on her own sleep but sadly was wide awake.

Don't listen, Judith! Her thoughts trailed to Liam and took a very dangerous road. She wrapped the second pillow around her head to avoid her from being witness to the upstairs activities that fed her fantasy.

Oh dear... she thought. It didn't work. The pillow wasn't soundproof enough to prevent her hearing them finally crying out each other's name.

"Barbara, yes!" and "Oh, Tom!" - then there was silence.

Feeling safe now Judith put the pillow properly back under her head. The total darkness now was replaced by the romantic light of some stars and the nearly full moon shining through the window. That audio play from upstairs was not yet over, some time later she witnessed some giggles.

Oh, please, not again! She strongly hoped that she could hold her tongue the other day.

Having heard, or rather imagining what just had happened upstairs, Liam now was more present in her head than ever.

It must be about 1 pm in Japan! she thought.

Chuckling she put out her mobile and texted him.

2 lovemakers upstairs are making me nervous

She had already informed him during the day about her shopping tour with the girlfriend of her brother so she hadn't to explain anymore.

Liam answered straight away.

so she bought sth very special 4 him?

Judith felt self-confident and cheeky and decided to tease him.

I bought sth special 4U! will be kept secret until a special evening

Her mobile buzzed. Now he called back.

Oh, hell, shite, what did I do?! I'm an idiot! She cursed herself and didn't know if she should answer his call.

"Hi, Liam!" She finally answered and cuddled deeper under the blankets. The couple in the master bedroom needed not to hear her.

He did not bother to say hello. He came straight to the point.

"A special evening? Does that implicate you want to date me, Jay?"

Judith took a deep breath and told herself that, since she started this, she also could make a total mess of it.

"Actually yes." She continued after a pause in which she could only hear him breathing. "And actually more."

She fearfully waited for an answer. "Liam?!" Her voice was shaky.

The voice on the other side of the world sounded a little baffled. "Well, errm, this is somewhat... errm, surprising me."

Shite. I was wrong. "You back off?"

"No, not at all, quite the opposite." Liam laughed nervously. "So when I'm back I have to make a special dinner for you?"

Judith sighed with relief. This call was going into a positive direction after all. She made her ambitions even clearer.

"Yes and I prepare the dessert."

She could hear him swallow. "Are you trying to seduce me?"

"I hope I do."

"Jay, you actually do more to me at the very moment." He sounded a bit distressed.

"I hope I do." she purred into her mobile. Her naughty grin was audible.

"Oh, hell," he wailed. "I hang up now. I have to take the next flight and take advantage of your mood. I'm there in... 14 hours! Stay! Don't move! I'll be right there, I'm..."

Judith giggled. "Liam! Don't! First: your business partners won't be pleased. Second: it would be entirely too long. And third and above all:..." She lowered her voice. "I need someone to lull me to sleep now."

Liam lowered his voice. "Apparently everything I have in mind would keep you awake, ... Jay." He made a little pause before huskily saying her name.

Oh, that was gentle. Judith recognized the changing in his tone and sighed. The butterflies in her belly still made an uproar.

"Or gives me... dreams. Say something naughty!" she whispered.

He giggled. "If I won't stop... if you won't stop now, I hardly attend the meeting, if you know what I mean."

"Oh, that's naughty, thank you. I can fall asleep now and you could have a cold shower."

"That's what I need, Jay."

"When you're back in England, I'll show you what I need! Now enjoy your shower!" Judith giggled. "I'm looking forward to our dinner, Liam. Good night."

"You're evil! I can hardly wait. Sweet dreams."

"Thank you." she breathed.

"Good night, Jay."

Well, that was some kind of a nice interruption! Judith thought and pressed her mobile into her chest. On that chat we can build upon. I hope.

With a pleased smile on her face she slowly slipped back into sleep.

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Author's note: It's still T-rated, isn't it? Or should I rather delete/rewrite something?

Mar 26/2014: After having checked my timetable (I've chosen a definite year) it is full moon at Dec 31st, so I've changed the moon phase.