So Good To Be Bad [Donatello]

Chapter 24

"Come on in," April greeted. "Make yourself at home."

"Okay... thanks," Momo answered.

The young woman stepped through the front door and removed the shoes. When April extended an invitation for her to come over for lunch, the thief partly wondered if this was a joke of some kind. Yet the young woman voiced that a day out would give them a chance to get to know one another. Especially since both would be working alongside the turtles.

The place looked cozy. The walls in the living room were painted a light blue and had a gray couch to match the color. Pictures hung on the walls, two tall windows on the far side of the space, and a kitchen just off the entrance area.

"I like your place," Momo complimented. There was a small hallway to the left that led towards the bedrooms and bathroom.

"Thanks! It feels a lot bigger now that Taylor moved out."

"Why did she move?"

The reporter shrugged. "Said she was home sick. But it all works out. I now have extra space and the brothers can drop by anytime without me worrying about her seeing them."

"I can imagine what her reaction might have been if four six-foot tall mutant turtles came by for a visit."

"Not good." April reappeared from the bedroom carrying a purse. "Ready?"

Confusion spread across the thief's features. "I thought we were eating here?"

"No, I wanted to bring you to my favorite place a few blocks away. Unless you want a home cooked meal, I can probably fix something together."

"Going out is just fine. Lead the way."

April's go-to spot turned out to be a family run diner. The owners knew her by name when the two walked in and were even given a free appetizer. "Vern and I drop in a lot between shoots," the reporter said. "If you like burgers you should get one here. Best I've ever had."

"Better than those five-star celebrity restaurants?" the thief teased.

"Way better than those. Seriously, how can anyone pay that much for a burger that has so many weird flavors it gets lost in translation on your taste buds?"

"Glad to see we're on the same page. I think I'll take the recommendation."

The two put a pin in their conversation when a waiter came by to take their order. "I like the pieces you do for the Channel 6 News," Momo said. "I can tell you're passionate."

"Even the ones where I used to cover weird work out crazies in Central Park?"

The young woman laughed. "Even those."

April then had to wonder, "How much do you actually know about me?"

"Well, I've watched all of your reports recently. Usually I keep an eye on the crime desk to see if any of my missions made headlines. But after what happened on the roof of Stacks Tower, I thought it'd be a good idea to look into you since it seemed we'd cross paths more often."

"In case I couldn't be trusted?"

"Can you blame me for being wary of you? Or the brothers?"

"No," she answered honestly. "We've been looking into you too. Or at least tried. It's like you don't have a footprint here. Like you just appeared out of nowhere."

"I made sure of that."

"To protect yourself?"

Momo nodded. "Most people I work with aren't good. And those that are thieves like me are even worse. I keep everyone at a distance for good reason."