A test of Love - Navaura Campbell (best management books of all time .txt) 📗

the closet, she went for a shower.
An hour later, shower done, downstairs for breakfast and then off to work at Yaal, Denise's attention focused on Jordan and why he'd come back to town. A sigh escaped as many possibilities running through her head. Even one she didn't want to admit. Things like that never happened in real life. Guys never came back to the girl they'd first loved. It was preposterous to even think of such an idea. Two years was definitely enough time to get over a high school sweet heart, right? She cleared her throat, pushed the thought aside and then grabbed her keys off the table.

Jordan watched with amusement as she came out of the house, keys in hand and made her way to a car. Since when had Denise gotten a car? When he'd left, she'd been using her mother's vehicle to go to the store, now she was driving a ninety seven Nissan Altima. He walked up to the end of the drive way, stopping right behind her car. When the car began moving, he wondered how good of a driver was she? Just as he thought this, the car came to a complete stop. Looking out of the window, she raised both brows. "Would you like me to hit you?"
He let out a laugh, "Would you like to?"
She smiled back, "Tempting offer, but it's against the law."
He shook his head, feeling light hearted, "Do you always have to go by the book?"
"I was told it was safer this way."
He nodded. "Oh, really?"
Denise sighed, "Yeah." Her gaze went down to her watch, "You're making me late for work."
He nodded, "I'm sorry." Denise waited for him to move. When he didn't, she cleared her throat, "I would like to get going, it's going to be a long day."
Jordan nodded, "I suppose you would like me to move?"
Denise laughed, "That's the idea."
He smiled at the sound of such sweetness. "Beautiful music."
She narrowed her brows, confused. "What?"
"Your laugh, it's beautiful music." He stated.
Denise glanced out of the windshield and then turned her gaze back to him. "Thank-you. I really have to go right now." She was pressed for time. Jordan sighed, knowing his time was up. "Ok." With that, he moved out of the way. Denise continued parking out of the driveway. When she waved at him, his eyes went to hers and she calmed the excited beat of her heart.

The last thing Jordan expected, watching her car go down to the end of the road and then stop at a light, was for it to turn back around. Well, it did. She turned back around and he watched as the car came back his way and then stopped in front of him. She leaned over the driver's side. "Are you busy?"
He shrugged, "No. Not at the moment."
"Do you have a lot planned for today?" She inquired, her gaze on him.
He narrowed his eyes and stared at her, perplexed. What was going on here? Was God trying to tell him something?
Denise cleared her throat, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked."
He sighed, "Let me be the judge of that. What were you asking?"
Denise sighed, "Well, I was going to ask if you wanted to go visit YAAL with me. I don't think you've ever been."
Jordan shrugged, "Alright."
Denise nodded, "You'll be there till I get off work." She stated with a smile. Jordan felt a jolt in his heart. He wanted to take his hand and run it along her face. He'd missed her smile.
"Ok, we can do that." He stated, his eyes beginning to lighten up at the idea. Denise inhaled, put the car in reverse, backed back till she got to her driveway and then turned into it to make a right turn back down the street.
Jordan watched as she drove the car. Her hand seeming to be at ease on the wheel. Her feet perfectly aligned to the breaks. He had to admit, she looked pretty comfortable. His eyes took in her outfit, the white blue jean Capri pants, mauve colored t-shirt that covered her body very nicely and matching sandals. His eyes went to her hair. He noticed that she'd straightened it out and now it was down past her shoulders, held back by a red pin. He nodded silently to himself and then turned to look out the window. After a minute of silence, he glanced over at her. "Why'd you invite me along?"
She shrugged, "I don't know. I thought it would be a nice experience."
He raised both brows, "Really?"
"Yes, why not?"
He smiled, repeating her last words. "Why not?"

One they reached YAAL, The Young Adult American Leadership Program, Jordan stared up in amazement at the building. It was a three story building, with glass windows sectioning off the rooms in the building. Jordan followed Denise into the building. There was thin carpeting inside the lobby, located on the first floor. Denise held out her pass to the receptionist. The lady scanned it and then looked over at Jordan, expecting his. Denise sighed, "He's with me, Terry."

The lady named Terry smiled and nodded, allowing them to pass through the metal detectors. Jordan sighed, "Wow, De-De, Quinton's not playing about this place, is he?"
Denise smiled, "Nope. He says he wants the children safe at all costs."
"What goes on here?" He inquired, his gaze roaming around the building.
"Well, it started out as just a reading group off of Dunlap and Bakersfield, but now, there's a computer lab, several tutoring classes as well as a cafeteria, and added on reading groups, for the younger kids. This year, they are going to add a couple of activities for the older kids they'll be accepting."
Jordan sighed, awed. He followed her down the hallway and into a room, located at the very end. She opened the door and went inside. It was a nice size office with a computer, filing cabinet, a desk and chairs which the computer sat on and a coat rack for jackets. Jordan looked around, "This is your office?"
Denise smiled, "Yes, I am now the Historical Coordinator for field-trips that the students take."

Jordan was flabbergasted, "How old are you again, Denise? Nineteen, Twenty?"
Denise smiled, "I just turned twenty this fall."
"That's a lot of responsibility for a twenty year old." He stated.
Denise smiled, "Well, I did the reading groups and scheduling of activities for the group for two years before I was made the Historical Coordinator. Let me tell you, there's a-lot more dough coming in from when I first started at fifteen."
"You've been working here since you were fifteen?" Jordan inquired, shocked.
Denise nodded, "Yep, mom signed my work permit and off I went. I started out making six dollars an hour."
Jordan laughed, "Nice chunk of change."
Denise laughed, "Yeah, but not as nice as it is now. I'm making at-least thirteen dollars an hour."
Jordan raised a brow, "Wow."
Denise sighed, "Yeah." Her gaze stayed on the twinkle in his eyes and a beautiful smile. She was drawn back to the day at the pond, when he'd thrown a pebble in and they'd watched it come out on the other end, bounce off a rock and then plop back into the stream. She felt her face flush, remembering that day.
Jordan watched her expression, feeling his heart beat accelerate and palms go sweaty. She was so beautiful, the brightness of her brown eyes, magnificent.
Denise's eyes flickered to her desk, glancing at the paperwork there. Grabbing the stacks, she cleared her throat, "We should get started with our day."
Jordan nodded, "Yeah."
Denise held the papers up to her chest and took a step toward the door. In taking that step, her hip grazed the papers that was left and sent them tumbling. Mumbling under her breath, she whispered, "Dangit." Leaning down to gather those, the ones in her hands were sent flying too. She closed her eyes. That's what she got for not paying attention.
Jordan stooped down to help her retrieve the papers, a smile on his face. "How'd you manage to do that?" Denise glanced over at him, her eyes meeting his bright green ones. "It was an accident."
He grinned, "You were paying attention were you?"
He watched as the glow began to manifest in her cheeks and then spread throughout her face in embarrassment.
She rolled her eyes and sighed, "Whatever."
This made him laugh harder, causing her to pull away from personal space. He sighed, "You are beautiful, you know that?"
She cleared her throat, "You always say that."

 Just then a knock on the door sounded, causing them to look up. Denise cleared her throat and began pulling the papers into a stack. Jordan helped her and withing thirty seconds the papers were in a neat pile against her chest. Another knock at the door, and Denise went to it. Quinton was on the other side, "I was wondering if you'd gotten in or not."
Denise nodded, "Yep."
Quinton laughed, "Derek said he wants to stop by and grab lunch with you at one thirty, if that's alright."
Denise gave a tight smile, running a nervous hand through her hair. "Thanks."
Jordan's eyebrows raised in speculation. Who was Derek? Denise glanced at him, feeling awkward, slightly embarrassed.
Quinton narrowed his eyebrows. He could tell by her demeanor that someone was in the room with her. Pulling the door all the way open, he stepped into the office. His eyes got big, "Do I know you?"
Jordan's gaze broke with Denise's and he smiled at Quinton. Quinton gasped, "Oh man, I'd know that smile anywhere. When did you get here? "
Jordan shrugged, "About three days ago."
Quinton nodded and came into the room. He grasped Jordan's hand in a firm shake, "Welcome back, man."
Jordan sighed, "Thanks, I'm only back for the summer."
Quinton raised a brow. "Not for good?"
"No, I got some business to take care of. Then I'll be heading back to Chi Town."
Denise felt her heart sink at this acknowledgment, but then told herself she shouldn't feel that way because she had Derek. She and Jordan were of the past. Surely he wasn't coming back for her. No way.
Jordan's gaze slid back to Denise's, watching the expression presented. The look of confusion was evident. He inhaled and then turned back to Quinton, "So, how long have you been running this place?"
Quinton smiled at him, "Come on, I'll explain while I give you a tour."
Jordan's gaze went back to Denise. She held up her papers, "I have alot of work to do, go ahead."
Smiling at her, he turned his eyes back to Quinton and together, they left the room.

Chapter Two

Derrick came to pick Denise up around one thirty as promised. When he knocked on the door to her office, she was organizing the files in her cabinet to update the years. The last time she'd taken them out had been a year earlier, pulling kids files who had graduated the program.

Derrick