The Night Shift: A Red Dead Redemption 2 AU

viii. The Christmas Party

A/N: I realize this is a little out of our present time but it's been a brutally hot summer and I'm ready for some holiday romance! Hopefully you are too! 😬💕

"How do I look, Lev?" Mia asked. Her cat's ears perked, but he otherwise stayed curled into a crescent, content. She could have really used the input - it was her first Outlaw Christmas party, and she hadn't a clue whether the group skewed "ugly sweater" or "dressed-to-the-nines." The way Tilly and Mary Beth had described the Outlaw Christmas Party was just that: as if every word were capitalized and important. Nothing short of legendary.

She texted the group chat:

What are y'all wearing tonight

Mary Beth responded first:

And ruin the debut???

She threw her phone to bounce along the bed, disturbing Leviticus's nap, and turned from side to side in the mirror, frowning at her forest green slip dress and heels, wondering if it was all too much. Mia settled on a white cable-knit sweater to put overtop; it dressed her outfit down enough, but she figured she could easily remove it if the dress code was indeed fancy.

And, upon arriving to the restaurant, the party already in full swing, it was clear that it was. Mary Beth was stunning in a burgundy party dress that showed off her legs, and Tilly equally so, in something slinky and beaded. Dutch stood in the centre of the restaurant, a brocade dinner jacket over his usual pinstriped pants. Even Uncle, who was jawing to John about something, had shown up in a three-piece tweed suit that could have been a century old, if not more. Mia hurriedly shucked off the sweater and jammed it into the sleeve of her coat before hanging it up.

The entire staff - day and night shift - was there. Dutch had brought in a tree, decorated tastefully in blue and gold ornaments, white lights. Even with the party taking place on Christmas Eve, people didn't miss it. And Outlaw closed for a week after, a staff-wide gift on the part of Dutch. It wasn't like Mia had anywhere to go, this year, but John had invited her to Christmas with him and Abigail, and she nearly cried at the kindness of it.

It did put some pressure on tonight's meeting with Abigail; Mia spotted the brunette with Jack on her hip, next to John. She approached tentatively, waving, but Abigail foisted Jack on John and embraced Mia like a sister. "Mia! My imaginary friend came to life!" Mia felt the brush of Abigail's lips on her cheek and she warmed from the inside.

"I can't believe this is the first time we're meeting," Mia replied, squeezing Abigail's hands before turning to Jack. "And look at this boy! So handsome!" Jack was dressed in a little vest and bowtie, and he reached for Mia's earrings until John pulled him away, muttering nice try, Jackie.

Abigail leant into Mia and said, "John just has so much to tell me about Jack everyday. Thank you. I was worried he wasn't, you know, invested."

Mia nodded, holding Abigail's arm. "He spends all night here worried about you, that he doesn't get enough time." Abigail's eyes shimmered, so Mia quickly joked, "Frankly, it's gross."

The women laughed and Abigail wiped at her eyes, reaching for another woman passing by who was unfamiliar to Mia. "Mia, this is Susan, our day bartender." Mia knew of Susan, but she wasn't part of the group chat.

"So nice to meet you, Susan," Mia said, "I'd heard you've been with the restaurant a long time, is that right?"

"Not that long, girl, careful," Susan warned, but she was grinning. "Since the beginning, if you must know."

"What was that like?" Outlaw had been such an institution in the city's dining scene, Mia had forgotten that at one point, it hadn't existed.

"Well, I was the only server, Dutch himself was on bar, if you can imagine him working," she chuckled. "And then Arthur was studying under our Chef, Hosea Matthews, god rest him."