Perseverance

Charlie worked on auto-pilot all day. She’d sealed herself in the little office and filled out order forms like a robot, shocked at what she’d nearly said. Did she really love Donatello? She’d nearly told him so that morning, but was she just feeling emotional? Hormonal, even? She checked the calendar and decided that it must just be pms making her go all mushy. Still, her mind argued with her while she worked.

“I can’t love him, it’s too soon.”

Too soon? You’ve been hanging around with him for months.

“But he couldn’t possibly feel the same way.”

“Why not?”

“He’s never been in love before.”

“So?”

“So…” Charlie didn’t have an answer for that one.

“And stop trying to make this about him. This is about you and your emotions.”

“Fuck…” Charlie mumbled, resting her head on the keyboard.

“Charlotte?” Lisa stuck her head around the corner to check on her friend. “Are you ok?”

“Yeah,” Charlie sighed, lifting her head. “I’m just thinking about… stuff.”

Lisa stepped into the office and shut the door behind her. “Don stuff?” she smirked. Charlotte tried her best to glared at Lisa and grabbed a file folder from the grey cabinet. Lisa smiled. She wasn’t that easily derailed. “How was the symphony?” she asked. “Did you have a nice time?”

Charlie flopped down into her chair. Short of firing Lisa, which she would never do, there was no way to get the woman to go away and leave her alone. “Yeah, it was… it was great.”

“Did you get a goodnight kiss?” Lisa giggled, leaning against the door.

Charlotte coughed uncomfortably. How did Lisa always get her to spill her guts about everything. “You could say that…” Charlie answered.

Lisa slapped her hand over her mouth in shock. “Charlotte, you didn’t!” Charlie shrugged and smiled sheepishly, a deep blush rising to her cheeks. “You did!” Lisa breathed. “Way to go, girl!” She sat down in the other chair. “Tell me everything - I need details!”
Charlie took a deep breath and told a slightly altered version of what had happened last night and that morning. She left out the fact that Don was a turtle, and she lied and said that he’d spent the night at her house, rather than tell Lisa that he’d come in her bathroom window to make her breakfast. That sounded too creepy.

Lisa sighed dreamily when Charlie got to the part about how they’d made love on the grass under the stars with the orchestra playing in the background. “That’s so romantic…” she said with another sigh, as she leaned back in her chair. “He sounds like a dream come true… I can’t wait to meet him!”

Charlie managed to smile, but her heart sank. Donatello would never be able to meet any of her friends or her family. “Well, he has met my dad,” she thought wryly, “although they weren’t formally introduced.” Her mother obviously wouldn’t be a problem since they never saw each other anyway, but how was she going to be able to keep seeing Don without ever letting Lisa meet him?

Lisa was saying something about how happy she was that Charlotte had found a nice guy, but Charlie wasn’t really listening. Eventually she was going to run out of excuses and Lisa would be left with hurt feelings. Lisa was getting up and heading back to the floor. She paused in the doorway and looked back at Charlotte.

“By the way,” she said, “Does Don have a brother?”

“Three, actually,” Charlie said, without thinking.

Lisa squealed in delight. “Give them my number if they’re not seeing anyone,” she grinned. “I could do with a man like Don!” She bounced out the door, and Charlotte slowly banged her head on the old desk.

“Shit…” she muttered.

****************************

Donatello finished washing the breakfast dishes before he left Charlie‘s apartment. He was exhausted - he hadn’t been able to sleep at all last night. The guys had kept him up for hours, asking questions. They seemed really happy for him, but like him, they’d also figured that Raphael would be the first one to have sex.

Even after he’d gotten away to bed, he just lay awake in his lonely bed, wishing she was there. He wanted to hold her close and feel her soft breath on his neck. He wanted to protect her while she slept.

He hadn’t told the others that he’d been a syllable and a half away from saying “I love you” to her when Leo called. He punched his pillow angrily and rolled over. It had been the perfect opportunity. How was he going to come up with an atmosphere that romantic again? Don smiled at that - he’d never realised that he was a romantic.