JIMIN POV
"We're doing this." I wrapped
my arms around Jungkook's neck.
"We're really doing this."
It was closing day.
In less than an hour, we were going to be the proud owners
of the bar.
I hadn't known how close
we came to losing the
place, either.
Allen hadn't been too pleased
by all the sick time I'd taken
and thought it might be my
way of trying to back out
of the contract.
Thankfully, Trudy put him in
his place and then in full
Trudy style, she called me
to gossip about it.
Turned out the entire place
was rooting for me, It was
nice to have her on my side.
"We are." He brushed his
lips against mine.
"And if you keep smelling so irresistible, we'll be late."
I sighed and backed away just enough to grab his hand.
"Let's go, my love."
We walked inside the lawyer's office where the closing was being held and ended up in
a conference room with far
more people than I expected.
Everyone was there for their
cut and they could have it.
All I wanted was the piece
of paper that said the place
was mine.
It turned out it was a folder
of papers but twenty-million signatures later, we were
handed the keys, the bar officially ours.
"Thank you, Allen."
My words weren't enough.
He was giving me a dream
when he'd have walked out
with more money by giving someone else more for their portfolio.
"I'll make it work."
"Then do yourself a favor
and rename it."
"Give it some pizazz, some youth, I don't know...class."
I couldn't help it.
I hugged the man.
"If I knew my advice was
worth that, I'd have been shelling it out for years." He teased as I let go of the poor guy.
"Let's go and get all of the accounts shifted to your name
so you don't end up with
delays in delivery, shall we."
The task was easier said
than done, the three of us spending most of the
afternoon back at the bar
and crowded in the office.
If he hadn't been there to
help, I couldn't imagine the headache that would've
ensued.
"That should do it."
"I'm off to find my relaxation
and possibly a bird."
"A bird?" Jungkook asked.
"Yeah, a bird...like a pet."
"I heard that's a thing down there." He half shrugged.
"If you need anything call
me but you won't."
"You've been here long
enough."
"Glad that bone infection
didn't kill you." In his own
way, he was being sweet.
Still weird but there you go.
He left, happier than I'd
ever seen him.
The place must've really been weighing him down.
I kind of got it.
He was alone, not living the
life he wanted and not able
to move past it until the place was gone and now it was.
"What first, love?"
"I don't even know."
"There are so many things."
We'd spent hours daydreaming about the place but we'd
never really put down a plan.
We didn't say the words but neither of us thought I would
still be alive to fulfill my dream.
And really, I almost wasn't.
Had we not gone to Ari's
pack, I'd be dead.
It was hard for me to hold it against Ari though.
She'd spent her childhood immersed in fairy tales and somehow that manifested
itself into her surety she'd
mate a human.
When I came along, she
figured all her dreams were coming true.
And we were in love and out
of that love came my
amazing son.
That didn't mean she didn't
mess up.
Oh, she did that aplenty.
But at the end of the day...her intentions weren't cruel and I couldn't bring myself to be
mad at her any longer.
"Joon said he can have a crew here next week to do anything construction wise—a gift
from the pack."
"A gift?"
I was missing something.
"Rumor has it the pack is
dying for you to open this
place." He clarified and I could see that.
They did everything together
and since I'd been officially announced as Jungkook's mate
even though we hadn't mated just yet, they seemed more willing to include me in that.
Maybe they always
had, to be honest.
I'd had so many blinders on trying to figure out where
Dalsu and I fit in that I
missed so much.
"Humans work here."
I didn't see the problem with
that but I also didn't see it as anything I was willing to
change, either.
Some of them had been
there for a decade or more.
"And they all know how to
pour a whiskey?"
"Maybe not Paul." Poor Paul.
I was going to need to make
him the cook or something
once this place was officially upgraded and ready to go.
Jungkook chuckled.
"Then all is good."
"Let's go give our employees
a paid two weeks off and
start writing on the walls."
I gasped.
"So Joon knows what to do where."
"So we're talking more than fixing the broken things
and a coat of paint."
"He said he wants this to be
like one of those restaurant shows where when people
come back for the first time,
they don't even recognize the place." He reached over me
and grabbed a Sharpie.
"Here you go."
"Should we wait until
tomorrow?"
I asked and he laughed,
grabbing my hand and
dragging me out into the
main area of the bar and climbing onto the counter.
"May I have everyone's attention."
No one stopped what they
were doing, so I gave him a
hand and whistled for their attention.
That worked.
"I'm Jungkook and you
already know Jimin."
"We are the new owners and
we are sorry to say we are
going to be closed for the
next two weeks effective immediately."
A pretzel landed on the bar
next to his feet and I tried my best to hold in my giggle.
I really did but I failed.
"What Jungkook is saying is
that all tabs today are on the house, everyone here will be getting a twenty-five-dollar
gift certificate for when we reopen and all employees
are on paid vacation."
That had the room clapping
and cheering.
Jungkook hopped off the
counter, landing at my feet.
"Next time, you do the speaking." He teased as the entire room rushed up to the counter.
An hour later, gift certificates were handed out, staff was reassured they would be compensated at a living wage and not their pre-tip wages
and the door was locked.
"Time to make our dreams
come true." I popped the top
off the Sharpie.
"Too late for that."
Jungkook set one hand on
my belly and the other on
where he'd marked me.
"Mine have already come true."