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

whether or not what her room mate said was true or not. Sighing, Neema threw the photo book at the wall. This meant that she'd have no choice but to tell Denise what Carrine had said about her and Jordan. Giving a big sigh, she glanced down at her watch. She really didn't want too.

Begrudgingly, Denise finally weaned her way out of bed. As soon as he took his shower and started the water for herself. "This better be worth my Saturday Morning, Jordan Williams."
"Don't worry, it will be." Jordan called from the living room. He sat down on the couch and shuffled his feet back and forth.
By the time Denise came from the bathroom fully dressed, Jordan had dosed off. He glanced at his watch, she'd been in there for one whole hour, wow.
"Denise, the morning's half gone."
"Nobody told you to wake me up at six in the morning, wanting to go ice skating."
"Well, I'm just happy you're dressed, let's go." Jordan pulled on his coat and gloves.
"Dang, I don't even have my coat on and you're out the door."

Two hours and forty five minutes later, Denise and Jordan were both tired and out of breath. The hot air from their mouths was meshing with the cold of winter. Denise gasped, "Jordan, there better be a good reason for me to be in so much pain right now."
"Trust me De-De, there is."
"I haven't seen it yet. Why did you want to bring me out here?"
Jordan cleared his throat. "When they do something like this on television, they make it look so easy and professional." He whispered.
"Do, what?"
Jordan rubbed his gloved hands together and breathed in them."I have something for you."
"An early christmas gift perhaps?"
"Yes." He whispered. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a box. Denise's eyes went wide, hands covering her mouth. "No."
He smiled, "Yes."
She shook her head. "No."
He opened the velvet box. Denise stared at the silver band with tiny diamonds studding it.
Jordan smiled, "Yes. It took me for ever to find the perfect one for your fingers."
"Are you sure it's going to fit?"
"Are you going to say yes?"
Denise felt her entire body flush. "Jordan."
"You don't have to worry Denise, we aren't going to go jump the broom now, I'd rather wait for a little longer, but I do want you to know that I am serious about making you my wife one day."
Denise's features spread in a grin, "Why?"
"Because I don't want to be with out you. I love you and I'm happy with you."
Denise inhaled sharply, "Oh, somehow in the movies they always make it seem sensational."
Jordan raised a brow, his cheeks reddening slightly, "This isn't sensational?"
Denise laughed softly. Taking a hold of Jordan's hands, she said, "It's great Jordan, I'm really happy. I mean my heart's pounding a mile a minute. I am totally ecstatic."
Jordan laughed, "So are you telling me yes that you will marry me?"
Denise shrugged with a huge grin on display, "Why not?"
Jordan grabbed the ring out of the box and placed it on her finger. Denise was surprised that it fit perfectly.
"How did you know my ring size?"
"Didn't you ever wonder why I was always messing with your fingers?"
Denise shrugged, "Not really."
"Not once?"
"Nope."
"Well, now you know."
Denise giggled. She glanced down at the ring, wondering how much it had cost him.

Neema rang the bell one more time, sure that Denise would be home. She was always home, or over Jordan's one. Neema sighed, irritated. Why did she not be home on this one important occasion? A thought jumped into her mind. Maybe, just maybe she wasn't meant to tell Denise about Jordan's other girlfriend and their baby. Maybe she was to let them live out their life in peace.
"Neema, I'm so glad you're here." She heard a high pitched tone.
Immediately her enthusiasm fell. Maybe she was supposed to tell. Turning around, Neema stared at Denise coming up the stairs she'd just came up. Jordan wasn't far behind. As usual, his cheeks were a rosy warm color. "Hi, Neema."
Neema waved, saddened by the fact that he would have to be here for this.
"Look at what I got." Denise stated, holding her hand out to Neema, her giggles giddy.
Neema stared at a beautiful circular band with diamonds on the silver metal. "Nice." She spoke, her tone soft, her heart already breaking. She glanced over at Jordan, who looked as if he had sparks in his eyes. He looked just as happy as she did.
This couldn't be the same Jordan as in the pictures with the other girl. He and whom ever else was in those pictures looked so much alike, yet their personalities seemed different. If a picture could give you a glimpse of the person's personality.
Neema glanced down at her bag. She wouldn't do this. She couldn't break her friend's heart. Surely this was a mistake. Surely it was. Clearing her throat, she glanced back up at Denise, with a smile on her face, "Congratulations girl."
Denise was grinning so hard, she looked as if her face would crack any minute now.
"Come help us celebrate." Denise stated, grabbing Neema by the arm.
"Well...I...I... have a class to attend." She stuttered.
"Neema, you don't have class today." Denise stated, grabbing a hold of Neema's shoulders.
"I mean, I have something really important..." Neema took a step back. Just as she did that, Denise's hold slid off her shoulders and onto the bag. In Neema's haste to grasp the bag so that Denise wouldn't see what was inside, the bag flew up in the air and then came down. Everything inside came clattering or rolling out onto the ground. Including the photo album. Denise grabbed it before she could do anything. "Aww, how cute. Let's see what's in here..." Denise stated, opening the album.
"I don't think you should..."
Too late, Denise's gaze scanned over the photographs and then glanced up at Jordan. "This is a joke, right?"
Jordan narrowed his brows in confusion. "What?" He came over to where Denise was flipping the photo album. A startled expression canvassed his features. The girl in the photos was Carrine. The guy...him. He stared, not recognizing any of them.
"Who is she, Jordan?" Denise hissed, still staring with both shock and rage inside her.
"That's an old girlfriend."
"How old are these pictures?"
"I don't know."
"What do you mean you don't know? How can you not know?"
"I mean I don't know, as in I've never seen them before."
Denise's head turned up sharply, staring him in the face. "What? Jordan, that's the dumbest lie I've ever heard. How can you not know about these when you're in them?"
"I don't know. I mean, I've never taken pictures with Carrine before."
"Carrine?" The name came out a hiss on her lips. As soon as he spoke the name, he was sorry.
"Yes, the girl in the pictures is Carrine, but I never took any photos with her at all."
Denise took a few steps back, "How can you say that and yet they're right here?"
"I swear Denise, I've never taken photos with that girl in my life."
Denise threw the book down on the ground, "Whatever." With that, she stumped up to the door.
"I wouldn't lie to you, Denise." He stated.
"Neither would a picture." She yelled back as she shoved a key into the lock on the door knob. Turning it to the right, she twisted the door knob, pushed opened the door and walked up the stairs to her room.
Jordan reached down and grabbed up the album. He thumbed through the pictures. They looked like him, but he knew they weren't.
"Jordan, I'm sorry." Neema whispered.
"That's what you came over here for, right? To show her the pictures?"
"Well, they look like you."
"It's not me, Dammit." He stated, his breathing heavy.
"Calm down." Neema instructed.
"Calm down? You want me to calm down when my fiancee just stormed up those stairs? You want me to calm down when it took me four years to prove to that woman that she could trust me, just to have you throw it back in my face? Calm down, Neema?" By the time he finished, he was yelling.
Neema who was backing away from the angry screams stared up at him in horror. His eyes looked as dark as tornado clouds. It was both intriguing and scary. "Look, my room mate showed me those. She said that her boyfriend had left her and their baby. The guy looks exactly like you."
"He's not me." Jordan stated. I don't know who the hell this is, but he's not me and further more, her being pregnant is bull shit."
Neema stopped, her back against a gated entrance. "How do you know?"
Jordan cleared his throat. Staring down at her with a menacing glance, he roared, "Where is she? Where is she? I told her to stay away from me."
"I think she said something about going to the library." Neema's voice was rushed.
"The library." With that, Jordan turned to his car without a backward glance. He was going to kill her.
Twenty Five

chapter Twenty Four:

Jordan stormed up to the oldest building on campus, the University's Library. This building was where the very first class had been given by Darnell Hampton, the school's founder. The school had first started out as an all boy's school in 1907, but fifteen years later was commuted into a university through federal funds.
Pulling the metal doors opened, he went up to the receptionist. "Will you please page Carrine Brichman for me?"
"I'm sorry sir..."
"Please, it's an emergency." He stated, trying desperately to hold onto the fiery temper that had welled up inside him. The receptionist, sensing his urgency, picked up the phone and asked what section a Carrine Brichman would be in. After telling her the information he'd gotten from Neema, the receptionist had the young lady paged. Within a few minutes, Jordan caught glimpse of her dark brown hair moving toward the double doors.
When he was able to make out her features, there was a big grin over her face. As he looked her over, he wondered what had he ever seen in her. He couldn't believe that he'd slept with her. She was no where near his type. Standing at five ten, a hundred and ten pounds, she was as thin as a rail, the last person he'd ever think to go out with. He wasn't really all that attracted to thin girls, let alone someone as skinny as her.
"Hey, Jordan." She greeted him.
Jordan smirked. When she stepped into his space, he grasped her arm. "You have some nerve." He hissed softly. The receptionist at the front desk glanced at both of them, her eyes upon Jordan's grip. Seeing this, Jordan led Carrine outside. "It's good to see you too, baby."
Jordan led her away from the entrance of the building to a secluded spot. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"I'm studying." Carrine answered.
"No, what are you trying to do to me, Carrine? What the hell do you want from me?" Jordan yelled, his breathing heavy.
Carrine reached out and taking a hand, she ran it across his enraged features. "Come on, Baby, calm down."
Jordan stared at her disbelieving. Pulling away from her, he said, "What's wrong with you?"
Carrine smiled, her hand pausing in mid air, "Why do you have to be so clueless Jordan? It's obvious that you want me here, otherwise, I wouldn't be here."
Jordan shook