Chapter 49 Invited To Invest
“Captain Johnson, lunch is on me today. Come to Pearl Hotel,” Jonathan said right away.
Feeling puzzled, Amber asked, “Why would you suddenly treat me to a meal at such a formal location?”
Jonathan chuckled. “I have some matters to discuss with you. You’ll find out once you’re here.”
Amber did not think too much about it and accepted his invitation. Jonathan was a very special person to her. Hence, she was willing to have more interaction with him.
After that, he also invited Yasmin and Jessica, who accepted it despite how odd it was.
Finally, he gave Jennifer a call to report the progress of the plan. Jennifer was delighted to hear the news. Yet, she was a little uneasy. “Will they agree?” she asked.
Jonathan, on the contrary, was not the slightest bit concerned. “They’re my first option. If they don’t agree, then I’ll think of something else. Anyway, money is the least of our problems.”
At that point in time, Jennifer was more familiar with Jonathan’s character. Hence, she did not think he was bragging.
At noon, all the beautiful ladies arrived at the hotel; Jennifer arrived with both Yasmin and Jessica.
As soon as Jessica entered the room, she started attacking Jonathan verbally. “D*mn you, Jonathan. Why did you gather us, the five beauties, for? Speak up. Which one are you going to do? Are you going to rob us or take advantage of us?”
Jonathan let out a chuckle and responded, “I’m going to have a wild party with all of you tonight.”
Jessica scoffed, “Go to hell.”
The other women stared at them weirdly. Both of them were speaking without holding back, and Jonathan’s words seemed quite suggestive, as they included everyone at the scene. Everyone had a rough idea of what he meant by a wild party.
Even Yasmin, who was usually thick-skinned, blushed, but she did not say anything.
Amber and Polly ignored them since they knew what Jonathan’s character was like. Jennifer, too, was already used to it.
“Fellow leaders, please take a seat!” Jonathan called out to the crowd and ordered the waiters to serve the food.
Before the dishes arrived, Jessica spoke. “Jonathan, it’s rare that you’d treat us to a meal so formally. Tell us, are you getting married to Jennifer? Is that why you’ve gathered us here to announce the news?”
Jonathan was dumbfounded while Jennifer blushed.
Despite that, Jonathan was quick to adapt, and he said hurriedly, “Oh, how I wish that’s the case, but Jennifer isn’t willing to do so.”
Jessica laughed. “Jennifer is a swan while you’re just a toad. I’d advise you to stop dreaming.” She had always addressed Jennifer that way instead of Jen. The truth was, she looked down on Jennifer and was slightly jealous of her. Jessica just never realized her true feelings.
Jonathan just laughed it off and said nothing else.
Immediately after that, it was Polly’s turn to speak. “Jonathan, I know you’re the kind of person who only does things that benefit yourself. Since there are no outsiders here, why don’t you tell us what kind of help you need?”
Her question had given Jonathan the opportunity to make his request. He said, “Ms. McDaniels, you know me so well!” He then got up, prepared himself mentally, and cleared his throat before saying with a serious expression, “I’m new to Horington. Hence, I don’t have many friends apart from the five of you. Since I’m with my close friends, I shall not beat around the bush. I’m planning to start a bar, but I don’t have any capital. Thus, I’d like to invite everyone here to invest in this new business of mine. I promise I won’t let anyone suffer losses. I’m equally grateful whether you trust in me or are unwilling to invest. Well, that’s all I have to say.” With that, he returned to his seat and gulped a large glass of water.
It was his first time speaking to everyone so seriously.
The women were taken aback, unable to get used to his sudden change in attitude. Even Jessica couldn’t bring herself to throw insults at him.
To their surprise, Yasmin was the first to speak instead of Polly. With a faint smile, Yasmin uttered, “I’m willing to invest two million. I can increase the amount if that’s not enough.”
Jennifer’s heart skipped a beat. Once again, she had experienced Jonathan’s charm. He had the ability to make anyone willingly invest so much money in him.
Shortly after, Polly spoke as well. “Same as Yasmin, I can put in two million. And if that’s not enough, I can invest more.”
“Thank you!” Jonathan got to his feet and gave them a toast.
Jessica grinned and said, “Well, I’d like to be given a toast as well. I’ll put in two million to let you experiment.”
Jonathan smiled and gave her a toast. Seeing that, Jessica became shy.
The last person who spoke was Amber, who let out a bitter smile. “You people are unbelievably wealthy. I can only afford to invest five hundred thousand even if I take out all of my savings. Well then, I’ll give you five hundred thousand.”
Jonathan looked at her and responded, “It’s okay. You can just invest three hundred thousand.”
Amber did not argue. “Okay.”
Hearing that, Jonathan assured, “Don’t worry. I won’t make you lose all your savings.”
With a smile, Amber responded, “It doesn’t matter.” It truly did not matter to her since she had no concept of money. In fact, she had other ways to get money if she really needed it.
Finally, it was Jennifer’s turn. Feeling a little shy, she stated, “I only have about twenty thousand.”
“The total of everyone’s investment is more than six million. It’s more than enough to start a bar. Next, it needs someone to manage it. I’ve already decided to let me and Jennifer take the job. Jennifer will be the manager, while I’ll be her assistant. Does anyone have any objections?” he asked with a smile.
It was at that moment that the crowd finally understood why Jonathan wanted to start a bar business all of a sudden. It was all for the sake of Jennifer.
Yasmin, Polly, and Amber had no objections. Jessica, on the other hand, was slightly displeased, but she dared not show it.
Hence, everyone agreed in the end.
Then, Jonathan pulled out a bank card and said, “Please make a note of this bank account number and transfer your money into this account. My next step is to start preparing the bar. I’ll make records of every expense. By the way, I’d like to explain the shares and bonuses. There is a total of six people here. No matter how much you invest, everyone has the same percentage of shares. Once we start making profits, we’ll make it up to your principals.”
“No problem,” the women replied.
Now that was settled, Jonathan finally let out a sigh of relief. “Thanks for your trust in me, everyone.”
The atmosphere of the dinner was jolly and pleasant. All except for Jessica, who felt a little displeased over how well Jonathan treated Jennifer.
At the same time, Jennifer noticed Jessica’s expression. However, she was too overwhelmed with excitement for the future to be bothered about the latter.
After the meal, the crowd dispersed. Jennifer officially handed in her resignation to Yasmin and did not go to work anymore. Naturally, Yasmin understood her situation and accepted it.
About an hour later, everyone transferred their money to the bank account.
Jonathan and Jennifer were still together, and they went to check the transfers at an ATM. When Jennifer saw the number of zeroes in the account, everything felt unreal to her.
With that amount of money, she and Jonathan would be able to live comfortably if they use it wisely.
However, since the money was already transferred, that meant that their plan of opening a bar was no longer a fantasy. It was something they had to do.
In fact, it was a heavy responsibility.
Jennifer asked, “What’s our first step?”
Hearing that, Jonathan laughed. “Of course, we’ll have to celebrate this with a drink. We must celebrate taking our first step toward success.”
Jennifer smiled in return.
It was already five o’clock in the afternoon. The evening sun glowed like a ball of fire, making the clouds look like they were burning in the sky and creating beautiful scenery.
Meanwhile, a little girl was happily running along the street with an ice cream in her hand. As it melted, it exuded a sweet smell that filled the air.
“Jonathan, can you buy me some ice cream?” Jennifer could not help but ask when she saw the ice cream shop.
Jonathan looked in the shop’s direction and answered without hesitation, “Of course.” With that, the duo walked over to the shop. Upon entering, they noticed most of the customers in there were couples. All of them looked young and energetic.
There was a large mirror on the ceiling. As soon as Jennifer lifted her head, she saw Jonathan and her reflection in it. Suddenly, she realized her face was flushed, looking like a young teenager. Jonathan looked as carefree as usual. Both of them seemed like a good match when they stood next to each other, just like the other couples. There were no traces of disharmony between them.
An inexplicable joy filled Jennifer.
However, Jonathan was unaware of all that. Soon, they found their seats, ordered their ice creams, and started digging in. Jennifer could not remember when was the last time she had ice cream. Hence, she enjoyed it happily.
She felt as though she had returned to her younger days when she was still a university student.
It felt as though all the failures in the past few years did not exist.
“Oh, by the way…” As if remembering something, Jennifer asked, “Do you have any experience in operating a bar?”
Startled, Jonathan replied, “I don’t.”
His response left Jennifer shocked. “Then, how could you promise everyone that you won’t let them suffer losses?”
Jonathan answered, “I can learn. What’s there to be afraid of? Nothing will go wrong as long as you’re courageous, thoughtful, and innovative.” It was undeniable that he was a confident person. He always did everything without fear.
When Jennifer saw how certain he was and recalled his unique identity and methods, she felt assured.
“Let’s check out the bars at Bar Street tonight,” he suggested.
Jennifer nodded. “Okay.”
Soon, nighttime arrived, and the sky was filled with stars.
The entire Horington was glowing as every household turned on their lights that shone brilliantly.
At the same time, a silent sea breeze swept by, filling the air with a salty tang.
Bar Street was a special street in Horington. It was a must-visit for every tourist who visited the city. Anyone could find their true love or a friend with benefits there. At the same time, it was the best location for one-night stands.
Bar Street was located near the seaside.
Hence, the smell of the ocean filled the air as the sea breeze blew by. Occasionally, they could even hear waves crashing.
Visitors could head to the bar for a drink once they were tired of playing by the beach. On top of that, the men could even have a steamy night at the hotel next door with a girl they fancied. It was an enjoyable thing to do.
Meanwhile, Jonathan, who was driving his AMC Gremlin, arrived at Bar Street with Jennifer.
