His Sexy Bad Habit

by Cheris Hodges

  Serena clawed at his face with her free hand. “Help! Somebody help me!”

  He grabbed Serena’s jaw and squeezed. “Shut up.” Pushing her head back into the wall he leaned in close. “All I needed from you was to let this movie restart my career. You got a second chance but you destroyed mine.”

  “And you left me at the altar.” Then she attempted to knee him in his privates. Emerson shifted his hips to avoid her blow, but didn’t loosen his grip. Serena dug her nails deeper into his hand. “Let me go, fool.”

  Emerson flung her onto the sofa, then pounced on top of her. He held her down with his knee on her midsection. Serena struggled to push him off her, but he gripped her throat and choked her. She writhed against the sofa and Emerson tightened his grip. Her body went limp and a jolt went though Emerson’s body. She was dead. He backed away from her, looking at her motionless body. He’d expected to feel satisfaction when he did to Serena what she’d done to his career. But all he felt was fear and emptiness.

  * * *

  “Ladies and gentlemen,” Devon said from the stage. “Give it up for Babyface. He’s coming back, right after dessert.”

  Babyface took a bow and the lights came back up in the restaurant. Antonio looked over his shoulder hoping to see Serena fighting her way through the crowd. “Do you think the bathroom line was that long?” Antonio asked.

  Jade and Alicia looked at each other and shrugged. “I figured Serena would’ve gone into the private bathroom in the office,” Jade said.

  “She has been gone for a long time, though,” Kenya said.

  Antonio rose to his feet and studied the crowd. “I don’t see her. I’m going to the office.”

  Alicia stood up and headed through the crowd with Antonio. More appropriately, she struggled to keep up with Antonio as he crashed through the crowd, nearly pushing people over. His mind reeled with the worst-case scenario—something bad happened to Serena. Had she drunk too much and fallen in those five-inch pumps? Maybe she had broken her leg and couldn’t move.

  “Antonio,” Alicia said as she finally caught up to him. “I’m sure she’s fine. Serena’s a workaholic, so she might be in the office on the computer.” She reached into her purse and pulled out the key for the office door, but the door was unlocked and cracked open.

  Antonio gently pushed her aside and entered the office. Looking to his left, he saw Serena lying motionless on the sofa. He rushed to her side and felt her wrist for a pulse. He found a faint one, then yelled, “Alicia, call 9-1-1.”

  He turned back to Serena. “Come on, baby, wake up. Wake up.” Hot tears of anger and fear poured from his eyes. Someone did this to her and his first thought was Casey. “Don’t die on me, Serena. I love you.” He brought her hand to his lips.

  “She’s dead,” a voice from behind him said.

  Antonio turned around and saw a figure in the darkness. Rushing the man, Antonio grabbed him by his collar and pulled him out of the shadows. When he saw it was Emerson Bradford, he knew who’d hurt Serena and began to pound him.

  “You son of a bitch! You tried to kill her,” Antonio swore as he punched and pounded Emerson to within an inch of his life. He hadn’t noticed the police, the EMS workers, and Serena’s friends had entered the office until two police officers snatched him off Emerson. “He did this to her!” Antonio barked as the officers held him back and an EMS worker checked Emerson’s injuries. “To hell with him, you have to save Serena.”

  The EMS workers turned their attention to Serena, taking her vital signs to determine whether further action was necessary.

  Jade shivered against James’s shoulder as Serena was loaded onto a stretcher and wheeled out of the office.

  “Let go of me,” Antonio said. “I’m going with my wife.”

  “Sir,” one of the police officers said, “we have to ask you some questions.”

  “Let him go with her,” Solomon and Maurice yelled out.

  “They’re going to the hospital. You know where to find him,” James added angrily. When the officers released Antonio, he tore out the door and hopped into the ambulance with Serena.

  “Her airway is constricted and there may be a broken bone in her neck,” one of the EMS workers said to the other as they worked on Serena. Antonio watched silently, his mind flashing back to the day when Marian was taken away in an ambulance.

  The EMS worker closest to Antonio touched his shoulder. “Sir, do you know what happened? Did you do this to her?”

  Antonio shook his head. “I would never hurt her. Emerson did this.”

  “Do you know if he used a ligature?”

  Antonio looked up at the worker and wanted to say, If I’d seen him trying to kill her, she’d be walking around and he’d be in here. Instead, he said, “I didn’t see what happened.”

  “She needs oxygen,” one of the workers said, then placed a mask over Serena’s face. Antonio stroked the back of Serena’s hand and prayed she would be all right. Prayed she would wake up and he wouldn’t have to tell his son that another woman they loved was gone.

  Serena heard Marvin Gaye’s voice—not singing but talking. “You can’t leave that man. And you can’t let the other man win.”

  What? Where am I? I thought Babyface was singing tonight, she thought as she looked around and saw nothing familiar. She wasn’t in the restaurant anymore and all she saw was a bright light. And her throat ached.

  Emerson. Emerson tried to kill her. Serena wanted to open her eyes, but her eyelids felt as it they were being held down by boulders. She could feel someone stroking her hand and that motion comforted her and she thought she smiled.

  “Serena.” Marvin Gaye was singing. “Baby, open your eyes and look at the man who loves you and wants you more than you need to go to Heaven.”

  I’m going to Heaven, for real? Serena thought, then her eyes fluttered open.

  Antonio was standing at her bedside, holding her hand. “Thank God,” he whispered, then pressed the button for the nurse.

  A woman walked into the room. “Is everything all right?” she asked as she crossed over to Serena’s bed.

  “She opened her eyes,” Antonio said.

  The nurse looked at Serena. Seeing that her eyes were open she pulled out a penlight and shined it in her eyes to evaluate her pupil response. The nurse smiled when Serena’s eyes followed the light. She placed her hand on Antonio’s shoulder. “I’ll go get her doctor.”

  Antonio wanted to kiss her. He prayed that Serena was coming back to him. It had been three days since he’d seen her beautiful eyes. Three days of pure hell not knowing if Serena would wake up. He’d told A.J. that Serena wasn’t feeling well. He hadn’t wanted to upset his son about Serena’s true condition. Antonio couldn’t say that she might die—he couldn’t go through the pain of losing her. Not when he loved her as much as he did. He’d spent every moment he could by her bedside.

  Jade had tried to get Antonio to leave earlier to get something to eat, but he’d told her she needed to go eat more than he did. “Antonio,” she’d said as she left the room. “You’re not going to do her any good if you wind up in a bed beside her. Be prepared to eat when I get back.”

  He’d offered her a halfhearted smile. “Thanks.”

  Then Serena had opened her eyes and Antonio was glad he hadn’t left.

  The doctor walked into the room and began running a series of tests to determine if Serena was fully awake. Antonio watched with baited breath as the doctor made notes and placed his fingers on the sides of Serena’s neck. “What’s going on?” Antonio asked the doctor.

  “Well, Mr. Jacobs, Serena’s vocal cords are still swollen, so she won’t be able to speak, but her vital signs are strong and she is awake. She can hear you.”

  Antonio smiled and returned to her bedside, seeing that Serena was following him and the doctor with her eyes. He also knew that not being able to talk was killing her. He took her hand in his and kissed it as he’d done over the last three days.

  “Welcome b
ack, beautiful,” he said. “I have missed you.”

  She smiled at him and blinked her eyes.

  “Killing you not be able to talk, huh?” Antonio asked. “Not that you talked a lot, but now I have your undivided attention and I have to say this. I never want you out of my sight ever again. When you get your voice back, we’re getting married.”

  Serena blinked her eyes in rapid succession as if she was saying something to Antonio’s declaration.

  “I’ll give you time to think about it,” he said. “But know that I love you more than anything in my life.”

  Serena parted her lips and the doctor touched her foot. “Mrs. Jacobs, don’t put stress on your vocal cords right now. I’ll have the nurse bring you a notepad.”

  Serena nodded, then squeezed Antonio’s hand. She mouthed, I love you, too.

  As the doctor left the room, Jade walked in with a bag from the cafeteria. “Is she awake?” Jade asked when she saw Antonio holding Serena’s hand.

  “Yes,” Antonio said happily. “Her doctor just left and said her vitals are looking good but she can’t talk.”

  “She’s in hell.” Jade smiled at Serena as she set the bag of food on the chair next to the bed. She leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Thank you for coming back to us. You’d better keep this man around because he’s the one.” She glanced up at Antonio. “But I’m sure you already knew that.”

  Serena nodded and Jade turned to Antonio. “I’m going outside to call the girls and let them know how she’s doing.”

  When they were alone, Antonio grabbed Serena’s hand and kissed it again. “A.J. wants to see you, but I think we’re going to hold off on that until you’re talking again.”

  She nodded, but her eyes said she had so much to say.

  “And when you’re able to say ‘I do,’ I expect to walk down the aisle and make you Mrs. Antonio Billups.”

  A tear spilled down Serena’s cheek as the nurse walked in with a pad and a pencil. Serena pressed the up button on the bed and accepted the pad and pencil. With a shaky hand, she wrote,

  I love you so much and I never thought that you and I would make it this far. Marrying you would be the best decision I’ve ever made.

  Pulling the pad toward him, Antonio read the note, then tore the piece of paper off the pad, folded it, and slipped it in his pocket. “I’m going to keep this and remind you of it when we have our first argument.”

  She smiled and the doctor walked into the room again. “Sir,” he said to Antonio, “I need to get by you to adjust your wife’s medication and take another look at her throat.”

  Antonio nodded. “I’ll be right outside the door,” he told Serena, not correcting the doctor about their marital status.

  “Is everything all right?” Jade asked as she approached Antonio.

  “The doctor is examining her,” he said. “But everything is fine, better than fine. Serena and I are getting married.”

  Jade’s eyes lit up like candles. “Are you serious?”

  Antonio pulled the note out of his jacket pocket and handed it to Jade. After reading the note she handed it back to Antonio and hugged him tightly.

  “She is so right. Marrying you will be the best decision she ever made. Now, we have to start planning a wedding, preferably while she can’t voice her opinion.”

  “I don’t know about that,” Antonio said with a chuckle. “She’s going to have to have a say in this because this is her first and last marriage.”

  Jade patted his shoulder. “I like the way you think, brother.”

  When the doctor walked out of the room, Jade and Antonio returned to a find a smiling Serena sitting up in the bed. She’d written several notes for them.

  Jade laughed when she read

  If you think there will be pink in my wedding, you have another thing coming.

  Epilogue

  Three weeks after Serena had been released from the hospital, she still thought her voice was a bit raspy. Antonio told her it was sexy, but she didn’t buy it. On her wedding day, however, she felt as if her voice was right back to normal.

  Kandace walked into Jade’s bedroom, which was doubling as Serena’s dressing room since she and Antonio were getting married in a small ceremony at Jade and James’s house. “Nervous?” Kandace asked as she sipped on a glass of ginger ale.

  “No.”

  “Liar, your hands are shaking.”

  Serena looked in the mirror and dropped her eyeliner pencil. “Still battling morning sickness?”

  Kandace nodded. “It should be called all day sickness.”

  Serena smoothed the lace bodice of her simple, yet sexy strapless wedding gown. The dress was snow white with red lacing in the bodice. Standing, she looked at the gown and smiled. “Thanks for helping me pick out this dress.”

  “Well, we couldn’t have you walking down the aisle in all white,” Kandace joked.

  “Oh, shut up.”

  Jade and Alicia walked into the room with a box. “We could hear you in the hallway,” Alicia said with a smile.

  “I never thought I’d say it, but I’m glad to hear your evil voice so clearly now,” Jade said.

  “We need to hurry up and get you outside to the altar before Antonio changes his mind,” Alicia said, then handed Serena the box.

  “What is this?” Serena asked as she set the box on the dressing table and lifted the top. Inside was a white gold tiara with three large stones in the center of the filigree metal work. She ran her finger across the stones and smiled.

  “This is the last remnant of the Ice Queen,” Alicia said.

  Serena laughed as she placed the bejeweled tiara on her head. “Let’s get one thing straight. I’m still a queen. Just one who has a king now.” She stood up and gave herself a once-over in the mirror.

  “Beautiful,” Jade said.

  “You look great,” Alicia said.

  “And isn’t this better than doing it without us?” Kandace added. They all looked at Jade.

  “Look,” Jade said. “Get over it.”

  “Yes, because she and James will probably do something corny like renew their vows soon any way,” Serena said.

  “So sarcastic and it’s your wedding day,” Jade said.

  Serena sucked in a deep breath. “My wedding day.”

  “Are you all right?” Alicia asked as she touched her friend’s bare shoulder. “You’re sure about this, right?”

  “Of course, but I guess I am a little nervous,” Serena replied. “The last time I was about to get married I ended up standing at the altar alone, expecting to be married to a psycho who tried to kill me.”

  “Well, Antonio is outside waiting for you. Emerson is locked up and facing serious jail time since he pleaded guilty to attempted murder,” Jade said.

  “And Antonio proved he’s no crazy killer by allowing Emerson to live when he found him in the office that night,” Kandace said, then shivered. “But that’s the past. Let’s get you set for the future.”

  “That’s right,” Alicia said. “And no more talk about psychos or the restaurant until after your honeymoon.”

  Serena nodded. “That’s right. I’m ready to become Antonio’s wife.”

  Antonio accepted a can of Pepsi from Maurice as they waited for the reverend to arrive for the ceremony. “You all right, man?” Maurice asked.

  “Just anxious to get this over with,” Antonio said as he took a sip of the soda.

  With a beer in his hand Solomon walked over to the two men. “It’s hot out here”—he looked at Antonio, who was dressed in a white linen suit with a red tie—“but it looks like a beautiful day for a wedding.”

  “It could be raining and it would still be a beautiful day to marry Serena,” Antonio said.

  Maurice and Solomon laughed. “Man, you got it bad,” Maurice said.

  “Really bad and thank God you’re marrying her. You have transformed her,” Solomon said as James and A.J. walked over to them.

  “Daddy,” A.J. asked, bouncing arou
nd, “is it time to get married yet?”

  “Not yet,” he said, then handed his son his can. “Do me a favor and put this in the recycling bin.”

  “Okay, but when I come back is it going to be time to get married then?”

  “Almost,” Antonio said.

  “I can’t tell who’s more excited,” James said. “He’s a great kid.”

  “I can’t wait until Robi is that age. Maybe she’ll sleep all night then,” Maurice said.

  “It can’t be that bad,” Solomon said. “Having the baby has to be better than dealing with the pregnancy. Kandace is an emotional wreck these days and she’s not that far along. Please tell me it gets better.”

  “It doesn’t,” James, Antonio, and Maurice said with a laugh.

  “Damn,” Solomon said. “So, you guys are telling me it’s going to be a long nine months?”

  Maurice nodded. “And tell her not to breast feed,” he said. “It was Kenya’s idea to do that, but when she couldn’t have her coffee, it was somehow my fault.”

  “Jade said breastfeeding made her and Jaden closer,” James said. “So, you better let that woman make her own decision about that.”

  “Are you and Serena going to expand your family anytime soon?” Maurice asked.

  “Let us get married first,” Antonio said, smiling. “But I’m not going to say I wouldn’t love to have a little Serena running around here someday.”

  “Oh, Lord,” Solomon said. “I don’t think the world is ready for two of them.”

  Antonio was about to reply when he saw A.J. and the reverend heading their way. A.J. was practically dragging the man to the altar.

  “The preacher is here. It’s time to get married,” A.J. exclaimed when he and the older man made it to the group of men.

  “Sorry I’m late. Reverend Layton Jackson.” He extended his hand to James and the other men.

  “Luckily, my future wife is inside with her friends and they probably have lost track of time themselves.”

  The reverend nodded, then turned to Maurice. “Mo Goings. You know, I’m going to have to tell my congregation that I met you, especially since during football season they spend their Sundays with you.”