Irish Throwdown (What Happens In Vegas Book 4) by Matt Lincoln (short books for teens .TXT) 📕

“You must have been really tired,” Fiona giggled. “You’re usually pretty good when it comes to punctuality.”

“Yeah, I was,” I admitted. “It’s been a rough couple of days. What about you, though? If it’s eleven here, then it’s the middle of the night over there, right?”

“Yeah,” Fiona replied sheepishly. “It’s a little after three. I can’t sleep. My brain is too wired going over all the details of the case. While I was lying in bed, something occurred to me, and I couldn’t relax until I looked into it. It turned out not to be a lead, and now I’m wide awake.”

“So you just called me because you’re bored?” I teased.

“No!” she exclaimed indignantly. “I thought it would be a good opportunity to call you since there’s such a big time difference, and I assumed you’d be up and awake at this hour.”

“I haven’t been able to sleep much either,” I replied. “We finally got a pretty big lead in the case, though, so we were able to turn in early and get some rest.”

“That’s good,” Fiona responded. “Have you had a chance to see the sights yet?”

“Kind of,” I shrugged, even though she couldn’t see me. “We’ve been doing a lot of traveling around, so I’ve gotten the chance to see a lot of Dublin and the countryside.”

“It’s not fair,” Fiona huffed. “Wallace hasn’t sent me on an international mission since Japan. I want to get out there and have an adventure, too!”

“You should talk to him about it,” I suggested as I got up to fill the small electric kettle on the tv stand with water from the bathroom.

“I keep meaning to,” Fiona sighed. “But it seems like every time I’m about to, there’s a new case or some new disaster for him to handle, and I don’t want to bug him with my whining.”

“It’s not whining,” I admonished as I plugged the kettle into the wall outlet beside the TV to make some coffee. “You’re trying to take a more active role in the cases. He’d probably be happy to hear that.”

“I guess,” she muttered. She could still be so shy and hesitant when it came to asserting herself or making requests.

“Do you have any plans for today?” I asked in an attempt to change the subject. “Since our party plans got canceled, I mean.”

“Naomi and I were going to watch horror movies at my place after work,” she replied. I was glad to hear that just the mention of it seemed to brighten her mood. “Miranda said she might come too, but Naomi thinks that she’s probably going to go out partying.”

“That sounds fun,” I replied as I waited for the water to boil. “Watching movies, I mean.”

“Yeah,” Fiona responded. “It’s nice to have a girls’ night. I’m bringing a bowl of chocolates in for us to share. Naomi said they were planning to start their patrol a little later since most people will be going out to party later in the evening, so we’ll probably just be sitting around in my office until then. Is there anything fun happening over there?”

“Yes, actually,” I replied. “Apparently, there’s this massive parade and festival in Dublin. The guy we’re after is planning on using the ruckus from the parade as a cover while he smuggles some illegal goods into the country, so we’ll probably get to see some of it tonight when we begin our mission.”

“Oh, that sounds cool,” Fiona remarked. “Take some pictures to show me when you get back, okay?”

“I’ll try.” I smiled into the phone. Our jobs were unpredictable, and I didn’t want to make any promises I couldn’t keep. “You should try to get some sleep. You’ll feel groggy at work tomorrow if you don’t.”

“Yeah, I know,” Fiona huffed. “I’ll talk to you later, ok, Junior? Call me as soon as you’re finished with your mission, even if it’s late here.”

“Will do,” I assured her before saying goodbye and ending the call.

I took my cup of coffee and fell into the soft, green leather chair at the end of the room. Hearing Fiona’s voice always made me feel more at ease, and, coupled with the twelve hours of sleep I’d gotten the previous night, I felt refreshed and full of energy.

I glanced around the room as I slowly sipped my coffee. The room wasn’t very different from any other hotel room I’d stayed in during any of my travels. Against the wall was a large oak television stand that held the TV and the coffee maker, as well as a basket that contained brochures and advertisements for businesses and restaurants in the area. Taking up most of the room was a queen-sized bed with green sheets and a thick, floral comforter, and at one end, right in front of the windows, was a small table and the overstuffed green chair I was currently sitting in.

The only discernible difference was the main view through the large floor-to-ceiling windows. Through them, I could see rust-red brick houses with arched windows set along cobbled streets. It was a sight that made me feel as though I’d been transported back in time.

After I finished my coffee, I went into the bathroom to have a shower and get changed. My shoulder twitched painfully as I pulled my shirt up over my head to get it off, and I sighed in frustration. I’d have to talk to Wallace when we got back and probably see a specialist, but I needed my arm to hold out for just a bit longer. We were so close to finding the leader of the organization, and I couldn’t have it giving out on me now.

It was noon by the time I finished showering and getting dressed, and I felt a little embarrassed at how I’d slept through so much of the day. It was ultimately time well-spent, though. My nerves had been wearing thin, and I was making too many sloppy mistakes. I hadn’t even noticed Charlie was gone yesterday until I saw the