The Other Side

By Cynthia D. Bates

Stephanie Sanders swore off men—white men in particular. Her focus now was to finish her masters and concentrate on her career. That is until he walked in.

All bad boy Vincent Edwards wanted was to fill up his tank and get on with his date. Like always things don’t turn out as planned. The credit card machine is broken and who he finds behind the counter changes his perception on everything.

Passions fly when Vincent finds he can’t keep his mind off the young woman at the gas station. All he has to do is convince her he’s no longer the rich playboy and win her heart.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AboutFace Media
• Release date: Apr 29, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311040046

Book preview

The Other Side

by

Cynthia D. Bates

Smashwords Ebook Edition

* * * * *

PUBLISHED BY:

PWP Romance

Passionate Writer Publishing

www.passionatewriterpublishing.com

in association with PWP Media

The Other Side

Copyright © 2014 by Cynthia D. Bates

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

License Notes

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Also by Cynthia D. Bates

Love on the Riviera

********

PWP Romance

Stephanie Sanders swore off men—white men in particular. Her focus now was to finish her masters and concentrate on her career. That is until he walked in.

All bad boy Vincent Edwards wanted was to fill up his tank and get on with his date. Like always things don’t turn out as planned. The credit card machine is broken and who he finds behind the counter changes his perception on everything.

Passions fly when Vincent finds he can’t keep his mind off the young woman at the gas station. All he has to do is convince her he’s no longer the rich playboy and win her heart.

The Other Side

Cynthia D. Bates

Chapter 1

Vincent Edwards whipped his car into the entrance to the gas station and pulled up to a pump.

He spoke out loud to his car’s hands free device. Look James, I’m not accepting anything but five hundred thousand. Anything less is an insult. The projections on this are through the roof. Even five k is being generous.

I’ll let them know. I’m with you on this one, James responded.

I have no doubt you are. Your percentage depends on it. Get back to me once you have their final offer. Vincent ended the call and rushed out the car. He really should have gotten gas earlier but this was his favorite spot and it was located at the bottom of hill from his home.

The call with James was perfect timing. He was already in the car and away from his desk. Otherwise he’d still be stuck there. Commercial investing didn’t revolve around normal business hours, especially when dealing with banks in other countries.

Vincent shoved the nozzle inside the small opening and tapped his hand on the top of his car while waiting for the fuel to begin dispensing. Moments passed and the pump didn’t make a sound. He glanced at the handle. Nothing was happening. Irritated, he pushed his selection again and watched the contraption this time. Still nothing. He tried squeezing the handle again and got the same result.

Aw, come on, you stupid machine, start. Vincent jammed the button again.

He didn’t have time for this tonight. He was already late picking up Johanna. The last thing he wanted to do was listen to her bitch about how he needed to learn the meaning of being on time. He’d heard it for the entire four months of their relationship and once again would cause his ears to bleed.

Vincent punched at the start button again with a force that threatened to loosen the nob. Nothing.

Dammit. He ran his hand down his face in frustration.

He glanced around to see if anyone else was having the same problem as him. Maybe it was his pump. The few people at the gas station seemed to be just as upset as he. There went the idea of switching to another pump.

Great, he mumbled while hitting the button to call for help. The owner, Travis had better be able to fix this and fast.

Yes, may I help you? The soft husky sound of the female voice on the other end caught him off guard.

Uh, hi. Yeah, I swiped my card and the pump won’t start.

I’m sorry, sir, but we’re having a problem processing credit card payments, and it’s affecting the pay at the pump, she said hesitantly.

His eyes rolled back in his head at the obvious answer. He took a deep breath and tried to calm down. It was not her fault he had been late getting home from work and found himself pinched for time.

Yes, I figured as much. Can you turn it on from inside? He corrected his tone. Please.

There was a pause on the other end.

I’m sorry. I’m not sure what you’re asking me to do.

The urge to growl in frustration was almost too much to restrain but he managed. Deep breaths, he told himself.

I need you to reset the credit card system from inside so I can get my gas, he spoke slow and deliberate as if he were speaking to a person who’d just learned the English language. He knew he was being an ass but at this point he really didn’t care. She needed to reset the darn thing so he could be on his way. He didn’t need this tonight didn’t feel like dealing with the incompetence of an obviously poorly trained young person on the other end.

He waited for a response and received none.

Hello? His irritations seething pass his lips.

Yes, sir, I’m still here. I’m sorry. I don’t know how to reset anything. I can accept a cash payment on the inside.

What did she mean she didn’t know how? It wasn’t as if this was the first time something like this had happened. He could recall at least three other times he’d experienced this same problem with the pay at the pump. Always Travis had been able to reset something from inside the store and that was it.

Is Travis there?

No, sir. But I’ve called him, and I’m sure he’s on his way, the soft voice replied.

Fuck.

Excuse me. There’s no need for that type of language, the voice huffed.

Huh, he said confused before noticing his fingers still on the call button.

No, I didn’t mean that to be directed at you. It’s just that I’m running late, and I don’t have time for this.

He waited for a reply. When none came, he realized she’d cut the line.

Vincent glanced at his watch and cursed again. Maybe he should take this as an omen of some kind. Yeah, he thought, a bad omen.

He reached inside his open window for his cell phone. Dread caused a knot of anxiety to build in the pit of his stomach. There were few things in his life that truly caused him trepidation. Making this call was one of them. It was not going to be pretty. The knot tightened as he dialed the number using the video application.

A beautiful lightly tanned brunette with piercing green eyes answered. You had better not be calling me to state the obvious, Vincent Ryan. Considering I’ve been waiting for an hour and a half and you still haven’t shown up, I surmise that you're running late. Johanna’s bottom lip jutted out in a pout.

Somehow Vincent managed to hold back the deep sigh of frustration he felt. He hated it when she called him by his first and middle name. It always came out sounding like an adult reprimanding a disobedient child.

Hey, honey. I’m sorry, but I’m at the gas station, and they’re having some kind of problem with the pumps.

And you’ve been there for an hour and a half? Johanna asked in a curt tone.

He managed to stop himself just short of putting his thoughts into words. Under the circumstances, he didn’t think it would be the best approach for him to respond with the sarcastic comment vying to come out.

No, honey, I was late getting in from work. It’s been a hectic week. He’d hope for once she’d surprise him and be understanding. If he wanted to stay at the top of his game he had to put in the extra time. This is something he’d failed to effectively communicate from the beginning.

Apparently last week was just as challenging since you couldn't seem to be on time then either. Johanna had no problem letting her being upset spill over.

Vincent rubbed his fingers through his hair. He was tired, and the only thing he really wanted to do was get his damn gas and go home. He didn’t want to go through this bullshit with her tonight. As a matter of fact, he was pretty much tired of going through it with her any night. It wasn’t as if he woke up this morning and decided oh what the hell he’d just be late again. Quite the opposite was true. After weeks of Johanna’s constant complaining about his never being on time or canceling plans last minute, he’d made a conscious decision this morning to leave early. By noon it had turned into leaving work on time. There was just too much to do with deadlines looming. When five o’clock had rolled around and he had found himself still at his desk, he had realized the best he could hope for was being about thirty minutes late. He missed that mark as well do to the gas station fiasco.

Johanna huffed and rolled her eyes. When you weren’t here on time and given your track record, I took the liberty of calling LaSalle’s and changing our reservations for later. How soon before you get here?

Vincent paused. He glanced into the gas station, the root of his predicament. That’s hard to say. Apparently the credit card machine is down at the pumps and on the inside.

So why can’t you simply go to another gas station?

Johanna’s eyebrows, nose, and lips furrowed up into her infamous scowl taking away from the soft angelic features he preferred.

He regretted his choice in the video call. He took a deep breath before speaking. Because I don’t have enough gas to make it to another gas station.

That’s mighty covenant. It appears only one of us is invested in making this relationship work. Her glare was harsh enough to turn him to stone if she possessed such a power. Every time it’s an excuse. No it’s your lack of time management unless it’s that silly business of yours.

Her words faded into the background noise of cars passing by. This rant was no different than any other he’d endured. Vincent wondered for the hundredth time why he was still with this woman. Why would he or any other reasonably sane man continue to go through this type of torture? Because she’s gorgeous and looks good on your arm. That was his ego talking. Vincent shook his head. No way. He refused to believe that was the only reason he was dating Johanna. There had to be something they had in common that drew him to her. He sighed and stopped short on banging his head against the edge of his car door.

Vincent Ryan, are you listening to me? Johanna’s high pitch voice echoed in his earpiece.

He snapped to. Had her tone always been this annoying? It worked on his nerves like nails on a chalkboard. Of course, I’m listening, babe. You were saying how I could benefit a lot from your classes. At least that’s where he figured she’d steered the conversation again. It wouldn’t be the first time. He had a fifty-fifty chance in the matter.

Well, yes, I was and you absolutely can. Think of how much more you can truly get accomplished during the day if you start off with a game plan, she said and continued on.

While Johanna rambled on about his poor time management and lack of concern for other people’s time, Vincent wracked his brain trying to think of one thing they shared in common. He found himself coming up empty. He had always been a spur of the moment kind of person and Johanna liked to plan out every part of her day. He guessed that’s why she was reportedly one of the best time management experts in the city. Hell, he hadn’t even known such a profession existed until he had met her.

They’d met several months back at a dinner party. One of his friends had introduced them. Vincent had found her gorgeous at first sight with her long, dark hair, sparkling green eyes and her body—sculpted by a rigorous workout regimen. She was intelligent on top of it all. At the time, he had felt as if he’d hit the lottery. As of late, the feelings were dissipating.

Vincent had to admit if it wasn’t for his assistant he would probably never get anywhere on time. There were still times when things didn’t go as expected. Johanna seemed to understand this in the beginning. It was only when they had been dating for about a month did she begin to give him little tips. The tips turned into not so subtle suggestions by the end of the second month. They were now up to lectures lasting anywhere from twenty minutes to an hour in length. It was no wonder he’d started canceling their dates when running late instead of actually showing up. Who the hell wanted to sit and listen to their girlfriend bitch at them for an hour about being late?

Under the glaringly bright lights of the gas station, the truth of the situation smacked him square between the eyes. He shook his head in disbelief but more so in distaste. To think he would rather endure endless lectures and countless arguments on his seeming inability to be on time for anything just to have a beautiful woman on his arm. Just how shallow did that make him?

Vincent knew what he had to do. He had to end things, but not tonight. He always had to build up to those types of things. He hated all the crying or yelling and screaming that seemed to accompany his ending of relationship but wouldn’t let things linger. The mere thought alone lifted his spirits.

Beep. Beep. The flashing low battery flashed directly above Johanna’s head on the screen. Dammit, he’d forgotten to charge his phone at work today. Placing it back to his ear, he opened his door and searched for the car charger. The port was empty. He’d forgotten to take it out his other vehicle.

He dug in his pocked for his wallet and opened it to see only the black leather interior staring back at him. He had meant to stop by the bank today during a lunch he had skipped in hopes of leaving on time. The irony of the situation mocked him.

Vincent checked his pockets. Sure, he knew the odds of having any cash on him was nil to none, but he checked anyway.

Listen, honey, can we continue this conversation when I get there? He interrupted her rant mid-stream.

She rolled her eyes at him. Vincent, I swear there are times when I just don’t know how we have managed to remain together for this long. I know for sure it’s not due to anything you have done. I have dedicated my life to helping people manage their lives for the better by making necessary changes, and I can’t even impress upon my boyfriend the importance of being on time for a date.

Had she always been this melodramatic? He heaved a deep sigh of relief when he heard her pause. Whew! Good it was over.

Vincent, I don’t think this is going to work out between you and me.

What the hell? Wait what was she saying? Had he missed something?

Johanna, if this is about my being late tonight.

She ran her fingers her fingers across her face moving a piece of hair to the side. It’s not just about your being late tonight, Vincent. You’re never on time. When you do get here, you’re not really here. Your mind is always off somewhere else instead of with me.

I’ve had a lot going on this month with work. I would think you of all people would understand what that means. You’re as driven as I am to succeed and should know sometimes it means you have to sacrifice certain things, he snapped back.

Wait. What the hell was he doing? This was his way out. Johanna was dumping him. He didn’t have to worry about tears or buying a parting gift. It was the perfect ending to a bad situation. He looked at the phone to see the daggers from her eyes glaring back at him. Vincent realized his ego refused to allow him to let a woman he’d had every intention of dumping dump him first.

I understand sacrifices. I’ve made plenty of them for this relationship. Do you know how badly it grates on my nerves when you’re late? Or don’t show up at all? Hell, you’re even late for the nights we plan to have sex. I can only stay in the mood for so long before it’s gone.

Hump. Who had ever heard of putting sex on the

Reviews for The Other Side

[Latisha · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Plagiarized! " Unexpected Packages" by Sindee Lynn was the original!

[Redd225 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I can't even go any further.. I'm so aggravated .. This book is like an altered version of "Unexpected Packages" by Sindee Lynn. No originality ... I loved your other book however this just seems plagiarized. I looked on amazon and just confirmed it not just me several other people see it too ... Frankly you should be ashamed stealing someone else work if I had her contact information I would surely let her know. This is just wrong!

[Mpho Angela Ashworth · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

4.5 stars for this one. I LOVED this romance about Vincent and Steph a lot. I really wanted to rate it a 5, but couldn't turn a blind eye to the typos, of which there are many. This story was sweet, hot and engaging all at once. Steph was very frustrating with her "toing" and "froing" due to her very low self esteem. But then again I could kind of see just what a nasty piece of work her sister was, and she really had done a number on her confidence. My heart went out to Steph. I love how Vincent was very patient, nurturing and understanding. Oh, and can I just say the model on the cover...oh lala :)