Pologue:

Jordan Williams sat in seat 4b staring out of the window of the plane, watching it taxi the runway. He couldn't believe after a year and a half of being away from home that he was going back. He cleared his throat and sat back in his seat and buckled the belt that was attached to it. It had been around seventy five degrees out that after noon allowing him the option of blue jean shorts and a white polo t-shirt. A pair of brown rust colored men's sandals that he'd gotten from a Walmart in Chicago encased his feet. He wiggled his toes from inside the shoes and glanced down at his laptop. He was playing a chess game over the internet. It was his turn. He checked to see exactly where he could move a pawn, just so he could get into his opponent's domain. After some decisive thinking, he moved his pawn to the right of a third chess peice on the board.

Jordan pulled up to his old house, staring out at the home, not really sure he wanted to proceed to its entrance. There were so many memories there that left a familiar pang in the center of his heart. He wiped his eyes and swallowed back the pain. He remembered learning to ride his tricycle out on the sidewalk at two years old. His dad had bought it for him; his first bike. He could see the tall, rail thin, two year old with equally long arms and legs little boy he'd been. During that time, he was going through his superman phase and had worn a blue superman outfit he'd gotten that christmas while he was riding. A smile formed across his face as he remembered the wind blowing across his body, giving him the feeling that he was flying. Inhaling sharply, he could hear the sounds of the little horn on his handle bar, warning the invisible villains to get out of the way.

Jordan laughed softly at this nastalgia and turned off the ignition. He opened the door to his rental vehicle and exited. Closing the door and locking it, he stepped over the curb and walked up to the house. Unlocking the door, he listened as it creaked open. The creaks were from its lack of use. Pushing it completely open, he went inside and then closed it. He walked down the hallway, noticing that the floors looked amazingly clean for having not been walked on in two years. He entered the living room. The blinds were still closed the way he'd left them, leaving the room dark and impossible to see into. He went over to the mini blinds and twisted the rod, allowing light to flood the room. When it did, he stared out in surprise at the neat condition the room was in. The furniture looked as if it had recently been polished, the floors were mopped, and the throw rug that sat underneath the coffee table looked as if it had been vacuumed. He didn't recall leaving the living room like this. He hadn't. A frown took over and he went through the living room to the kitchen. Even that sparkled, shined to the best of its ability. It was like his mother had never passed. The brass knobs on the cabinets gleaned with brightness. The gass stove looked brand new. Even the table looked as if it hadn't been left in chaos upon him leaving. Taking a deep breath, he walked past the back door, not bothering to check to see if it was locked and up the stairs, feeling odd.

When he entered the hallway, his heart seemed to stop. He recognized the scent of lilacs immediately. Sighing, he wondered if she was the one who'd been doing this. Of course! His mind screamed. That's why he was smelling lilacs. He glanced into the hallway bathroom. It looked just as immaculate as the rest of the house. He stared in admiration, a smile forming. He would have to find out where she was and thank her. He walked past there, to the master bedroom where his mother things were. Opening the door, he noticed all of her things had been in the same order he'd left them in. Nothing had been disturbed. He nodded, understanding why she would leave those undone. He closed the door and went to his room. He glanced around, seeing that the bed was made, the floor vaccummed, and even the clothes were folded neatly in the drawers. The only space in the room untouched was his dresser. He glanced over at it and looked down.

~

Denise stood outside the house, wondering if she should go inside. She knew that it would be trespassing and should any officers find out, she'd be given a fine. She sighed and as usual, ignored that nagging plea to not go inside. She couldn't help it. Ever since he'd left, she'd felt as if it was her responsibility to take care of this house. She'd promised Mrs. Williams that she would. She twisted the knob and opened the door.

Jordan paused when he heard the creak from downstairs. Nervously, he walked out of his room, went to the hallway closet and grabbed a bat. Although he'd love to say that it was Denise, he couldn't be too sure. That's how he'd ended up on his back with a concussion in Chicago. When he had been staying with Andrew, he'd come home one evening, thinking whoever was in the house had been Andrew and he'd been rewarded with a tko on spot. He swore he'd never make that mistake again. Pulling the bat to his shoulders, ready for aim, he took the stairs slowly; making his way to the kitchen.

Denise closed the door behind her and turned around to turn on the lights.

Jordan came down the last step, gripping the bat tightly in his hand. Taking a deep breath, he said in a clear, calm, voice. "Stop right there!"

Denise stopped, feeling her heart beat accelerate. He wasn't supposed to be here. How'd she manage to miss his car? 

Jordan turned on the switch next to him, light flooding the room. Immediately, his heart jumped out of his chest and he felt even more anxious than he had before grabbing the bat. "Denise."

She stood there not moving or saying anything. He could imagine the thoughts going through her head and began to speak what ever tumbled out of his mouth. "I parked out in front of the curb. You wouldn't recognize the car. It's a rental."

Denise stiffened. Jordan's eyes scanned over her body, running along all the curves. He stood there for at least two minutes before walking over to where she stood. She took this time to turn around and stare him in the eyes.

"Hi."

"Hi. What are you doing here?"

Denise pulled her bottom lip into her mouth. When his eyes went to them, she pushed it back out self consciously, stuttering. "Well...I..I"

Despite the circumstances, Jordan found a smile forming. She was flustered. He watched as she stumbled over her sentence. "I...well, your mom...I just wanted to help...you know, since I...um promised your mom that I would."

Jordan pulled himself off the wall, allowing her room to move. "Thank You."

Denise put her hands in her pockets, anxious. Taking in the short cropped hair, which now looked straight and the beautiful green eyes, she couldn't believe he was there. He had on a white polo shirt with a collar to it and a pair of blue jean shorts with sandals. She couldn't help but notice the nice bulge in his shoulders and legs. Even his face looked fuller in its heart shaped form.  He'd grown a gotea right below his lips; Very sexy it was.

She stood there as he walked to the kitchen table and took a seat. Glancing up at her, he stated, "Have a seat."

Denise stood there, unable to will her feet to move. He exhaled sharply, his eyes on her. "Suit yourself." His gaze went over her form, taking in the pastel pink muscle shirt, pencil leg blue jeans and a matching belt secured around her waist. He let his eyes run all the way down to her tennis shoes and then back up to her face. Looking her in the eyes, he smiled, "Still beautiful. You look good." This caused her to divert her eyes away from him and to the left where the cabinets were. He was reminded that he hadn't asked her if she wanted anything to eat.

"Are you hungry?" He inquired, excited.

Denise cleared her throat. "You know, I think I need to go. I should go." She turned and opened the door. He watched with curiosity as she ran out of the house.

Jordan laid there in bed, thinking of all the stuff he'd endured the past two years. His mother's passing, his own son being born and then leaving this world as well. He remembered not being able to close his eyes at night the first three months he'd been away from Hampton. Guilt, anger, pain and frustration had all managed to lay claim to him during those times. Sometime during the ninth month, he began to feel the emotions let up one by one, until finally, he'd started working again, moved out of Andrew's and Tanya's place and got his own home. Two weeks after moving, he'd been going through his things and found quite a few stuff that Denise had given him over the years. These things of memorabilia, held fast to his heart, reminding him of the one sentence letter he'd written her telling her that he'd be back for her. Although he'd wanted to come back, he'd felt unsure as to whether or not she'd want to see him. After deliberation, he bought a plane ticket and here he was, back in Hampton.

Inhaling sharply, he sat up, and put his hands to his face. He'd also come back because he had some unfinished business to take care of. Getting up, he walked out the door and to his son's room. Everything was still in its proper place. Nothing removed. As he cut on the light, he saw dust mites lingering over the furniture, in the closet where the clothes still hung. Staring around the room, he inhaled sharply as the recollection of the little boy he'd once held in his arms surfaced in his thoughts. He went out into the hallway to the linen closet, reached up on the top shelf and grabbed some cleaner, where he took it back to the room. Bit by bit, he disassembled everything.

The following morning, Denise awoke with a bright disposition. She glanced over at the clock, reading that it was nine o'clock in the morning. Throwing the covers off of her, she stretched her limbs, turned to the left and then right to get the creaks out of her hips. Grabbing her clothing out of 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.

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 entered her office upon reply, greeting her with a kiss. Denise smiled up at him.

"Ready to go?" He inquired.

She glanced into warm brown eyes. "Yeah, just let me get my wallet."

He shook his head, putting a brown hand over hers, "Let me get it."

"No, I have the money, I can take care of things myself." She stated, going for her desk drawer.

Derrick stopped her. "Why don't you let me do it?"

Denise sighed, Derrick and she had been friends for almost a year now, and he was pressing for her to go out with him. He did it so subtlety, that she, for the most part was never annoyed. Glancing into sincere brown eyes, she felt sympathy for the look of admiration in them. She hated that she couldn't return his feelings. He was such a nice guy it was unbelievable. She'd told him no, because she'd never wanted him to think there was anything between them but friendship.

Quickly, he backed up this thought, by patting her hand and saying, "I understand we're only friends. I can handle that, Denise. It'll just be lunch between friends, no expectations."

Denise exhaled a long thoughtful breath. "Alright, Derrick. Let's go to Lunch."

As they pulled into the Pomatoc Cafe, Denise opened her door and stepped out of his 2000 Mini Cooper. She closed the door behind her as he came and met her around the front entrance of the restaurant. Derreck grabbed the door for her as she entered the building. "Thank-you," She responded politely.

Derrick smiled, "You're welcome."

As they entered the lobby area, a greeter extended them a welcome, "Table for two I presume?"

Denise nodded, "Yes, please." They followed the waitress as she took them to a section of the restaurant. When they were seated, Denise looked up at him with a cordial smile. "How are things going with you at work?"

He smiled, "Pretty good. Intelligent Corp is thinking about hiring me on permanently." He stated. Denise nodded, "That's nice. Have you thought any more as to whether you wanted to go for post graduate status?"

Derrick sighed and glanced down at his menu. "Yeah, I think I'll be doing my program online, that way it'll make things easier."

Another smile, and then, "That's good. I hear that's the thing now, going to school online."

Denise watched as he shrugged. "Yeah, it beats being in a classroom any day."

Her eyes went to his hair, dark curly brown hair, a deep mahogany brown complexion, a lightly trimmed mustache and no beard. She remembered that he had deep set brown almost opal colored eyes, and nice eyebrows that at times were drawn to a uni brow. She thought him to be really handsome. He was slightly thin, with a graceful build that was perfect for his five foot eleven inch frame. Sighing, she glanced back down at her menu.

"I didn't know you guys were here." The tone of Quinton's voice brought Denise's head up from her choices. She looked up into bright hazel eyes, "Hey, what are you doing here?" She greeted him.

He laughed, "Well, Jordan and I decided to drop in for lunch. Fancy meeting you here." He stated, his eyes suspicious looking. Quinton had long since let go of weight lifting, but still managed to hold onto a nice stack of muscle. He stared at her with broad shoulders and a slim waist line. His hair become longer, which he'd dreaded a couple of years ago. The long locs hung right at his shoulders, giving him the attractiveness of a straight man. He walked straighter than he'd had in high school and he'd long since given up the boy persona for the man. He looked every inch of man, with his voice, his dress and his attitude. Because of the way parents had responded to his flamboyant mannerisms of the feminine sex, he'd learned to tone it down drastically, not mix his life style with his business.

Denise nodded, "Yeah, I know, right? We just came here, because it's one of our favorite places."

Quinton nodded, "favorite places huh?" He nodded knowingly.

Denise laughed, "It's not like that."

"She won't give me the time of day," Derrick stated, standing up. He shook hands with Quinton.

"Hey, Derrick." Quinton greeted, returning his hand shake. Derek smiled, "Have you gotten your table yet?" Derrick inquired.

Quinton shook his head no. "I'm waiting for Jordan to come out of the bathroom."

"Oh, is he a new prospect?" Derrick asked with a suggestive tone.

Quinton's eyes flew to Denise's just to take in her reaction. The gleam in her eyes spoke of her anger toward this remark, although she laughed it off uncomfortably.

"I'm not gay." A deep toned voice came through, sending red flags to Denise's mind. Derrick watched as the guy named Jordan came forward. He glanced up into dark emerald eyes, unwavering. Derrick pushed aside the chills of discomfort and extended his hand, "I apologize about that."

He stared at the young man dressed in a pair of blue jean shorts, tennis shoes and a yellow and white striped polo shirt. When their hands made contact, the handshake was brief. Clearing his throat, Derrick glanced over at Quinton, "Would you two like to join us?"

Quinton raised a brow, sensing the hostility between the two men. He said, "No, that's ok, we'll go..."

"Hey, I say go for it, he asked." Jordan stated, his eyes on Denise. Quinton glanced over at him. "Jordan, if they want to be alone..."

"No, it's cool let him, I'd like to hear how you met." Derrick stated, making room for both Quinton and Jordan. He went and sat next to Denise, who scooted closer into the booth.

Derrick’s gaze flickered over Jordan again, just staring distastefully. Jordan's eyes went to his, meeting his gaze with a blank stare. When Quinton cleared his throat, he glanced down at the menu on his side of the table, "So, what's recommendable here?"

Denise was sitting there thinking this was a dream. It couldn't be happening. No way.

When no one said anything, Quinton cleared his throat. Derrick glanced at him. "Scalloped shrimp and mashed potatoes."

Jordan's gaze went to Denise's, checking out her reaction. He couldn't seem to get past the poutiness of her lips.

"So, Jordan, how long have you and Quinton been friends?" This question caused Jordan's gaze to transfer to Derrick’s.

"Since high school."

Derrick nodded, "Did you work for him too?"

Jordan shook his head no. "No, I went to school in South Hampton."

Derrick’s eyes went to Denise's and he asked, "Did you know him too?"

Denise's gaze went to Jordan's and she just stared.

"Yeah, we knew each other." Jordan stated, his tone soft. Denise turned back to face Derrick. She couldn't believe this was happening. Why here, now?

"Ok." Derrick raised an eyebrow at her and then turned back to Jordan. Jordan gave a tight smile, "We dated back in high school."

Denise's eyes went wide with shock and she turned her attention back to Jordan. That was none of Derrick’s business.

"Oh, really? For how long?" Derrick’s arm went around the booth behind her. Jordan's eyes went cold. "Four years."

Derrick raised both brows shocked and glanced over at Denise. "You never told me you had a boyfriend in high school."

Denise shrugged, "I wasn't aware that I had to tell you." She stated, her tone a bit nipped.

Quinton began shaking his head, knowing this was going to be disaster.

Derrick sighed, ignoring the irritation in her voice, "Well, it would've been a nice thing to explain, since you obviously don't have an iota of attraction to me." His tone was so smooth and deceptively soft, that because everyone at the table felt the tension building, they could hear the pain.

"I never said I didn't have an attraction to you." She hissed, her gaze turning to his. "I just want to be friends with you. Is that a crime?"

Jordan's gaze went to Derrick’s, hating him for even being here. He had no idea how close to Denise's heart he was. The further at arm's length he was kept, the closer to her heart he was. He waited for Quinton to finish picking his order, because he didn't want to look as if they were together. This sent chills down his spine.

"Geez, I feel great." Derrick replied sarcastically. Jordan glanced at the suit and tie, curly hair, long thick eye lashes and couldn't stand him even more. He could tell that he was just Denise's type. She'd always go for the brother in the suit before any other man. This caused him to glance down at himself and feel embarrassed. He was dressed in attire associated with people who were lazy, didn't work or anything. This caused a waft of disgusts to float through the air. Getting up, he said, "Excuse me, Quin."

Quinton stood up and moved out of his way. They watched as he left the restaurant, not really saying anything. Denise felt a tug in her heart to go help him. She stared after the door he'd gone through. Quinton glanced at her, and then stood up, he went after Jordan. Derrick sighed, "Ok...interesting." Denise, not able to hold back that feeling to go to him any longer, stood up too. "Excuse me."

Derrick glanced up into her face, "You're joking right?"

Denise exhaled, "Move, please."

Derrick stood up, shaking his head, "What ever, Denise."

"He's still my friend, Derrick. I care about him."

Derrick sighed and watched in frustration as she made her way toward the exit of the restaurant. Flustered, Derrick glanced down at his watch. He hoped this wouldn't take all day.

"Since when did you start smoking?" Denise inquired as she watched Jordan light up a cigarette and put it to his mouth. They were standing away from the brick structure, shaded by some trees that were covering the restaurant, giving it a nice cool feeling.

"I only do it when I get stressed out." He stated, starring up at the sun.

Quinton was standing in front of the building, watching him, not saying anything. He hoped Denise was sharper than she'd been in high school. Intellectually, she was awesome, but when it came to emotional availability, she had serious problems.

Denise swallowed softly, "What's wrong?"

Jordan focused his attention on her. "Nothing."

Denise smiled, "You always say that."

Quinton raised a brow. Was that a twinkle in her eye? He stared over at Jordan, who'd inhaled another puff of cigarette and was staring at her with a bemused expression. Judging by his demeanor, he could tell the smile Denise had thrown his way was a turn on for him. He'd switched his weight from one foot to another and was starring at her mouth. This caused another brow. He wondered how long it'd been since Jordan had had sex?

"I mean it to. I just needed some fresh air." Another exhale, calming effects the cigarette had. Denise shrugged, "Ok." For a few minutes, the both of them stood there starring at one another, communicating with their eyes, not with words.

Quinton narrowed his brows. "I always hated when you guys did that." He stated.

Denise's gaze broke from Jordan's and she turned her face to his, "Do what?"

"Talk with your eyes. I can't ever get a word out of what's being said."

Denise raised a brow. "Talk with our eyes?"

Quinton laughed, "Yeah, you always seem to be having a conversation without saying much. That gets annoying after a while."

Jordan inhaled sharply, flickered the cigarette on the ground and cleared his throat, "Maybe you shouldn't be so nosey then." He stated. His gaze immediately flickered to Denise's. A smile captured her face as she read the expression in them. Jordan stared, his eyes glazed. Subconsciously, Denise's hands went up to her arms and she began to run them over the goose bumps she felt.

Quinton cleared his throat, "Yeah, well maybe if you didn't make it so obvious that you haven't had sex in quite a while, I wouldn't be so nosey."

If it wasn't for the tips of red on his ears, Denise would've thought Jordan wasn't affected by his words. Turning his eyes to Quinton's he said, "Would you mind giving me a lift home? I'm not in the mood for lunch."

Quinton reached up and pulled his ear, suddenly scratching an itch. Denise's head turned and she watched as Derrick made his way toward them. When he reached her side, he inquired, "Are you guys ready to order?"

Quinton sighed, "Jordan and I are going to leave. I have some business that came up at the office."

Derrick extended a hand to Jordan, "Nice meeting you." Jordan grasped his hand. Derrick’s fingers gave a firm handshake. Overly firm. "Yeah, nice meeting you too." Jordan quickly pulled his hand out of the man's grasp. Looking him in the eyes, he told him to back off. Derrick held his gaze, telling him to back off. His arm went to Denise's shoulder and he glanced down at her. "Are you ready for lunch?"

Denise wasn't in the mood for lunch anymore. She wanted to see to it that Jordan was alright, but he'd brought her out for the occasion so why not? Sighing, she looked up at Jordan and with tender eyes, she smiled, "See you later, Jordan."

Jordan shrugged his shoulders, "See you later, Denise."

As they walked in separate directions, each thoughts was filled with the other. Jordan wondering why he'd even come back. He told himself maybe he should just focus upon taking care of business with the house and leave things between them the way they were. Obviously, she was in the process of moving on.

Denise felt the strangest tug in her heart. It whispered to her, told her things. Things she didn't really believe. Her heart told her he still loved her and she still loved him, and although that may be true, they were not the same as they'd once been. He was a smoker. She wondered if he still drank? Probably. Another thing her heart told her was that she'd never be more than friends with Derrick. He was a great guy, but she'd never been stirred to feel anything out of the ordinary with him. Glancing up at him, she studied him, wondering what was wrong with her. Why not him?