Jp didn’t tend to head out for lunch when everyone else did, instead opting to bring something packed or bunker down and crank out another hour of work, yet today was a slow day. Nothing coming in, and everything they were tasked with done— for now. So with a bit of convincing he pulled his jacket on and dashed out with the rest of them.
It reminded him of being back at Yale. Walking to the dining hall with his roommate and friends, except minus the thought of making it to his next class. Miriam is trying to tell a story through her laughter as he and a few others wait at the corner.
Everyone goes silent for a moment and looks in his direction, before he can even process what’s going on he feels a hand hit the back of his head. He quickly turns on his heels to see his brother. It’s a surprise, and knowing what’s to happen next— not a pleasant one. He stumbles back slightly as Mac goes at his torso. Rocky, not one of his favourites but quotes were repeated so often in his house, it be a miracle if he didn’t recognize it.
“Mac!” He huffs. His voice acerbic as he grabs his brother’s fist. “What a pleasure it is to see you,” he says, sarcasm laid on thick. Although this attack may seem out of the ordinary to literally anyone else, he’s been on the receiving end of these for years.
He turns back to his friends. “Guys, this is my pain in the ass brother Maxwell— or Mac. Mac, this is Miriam, Sienna, Jack and Ann-Marie.” He points to each of them as he lists of their names before turning back to his brother. “Why are you here and how the fuck did you know it was me?”
At JP’s reaction, a smug smirk stretches along Mac’s lips, bright blue eyes holding the same old mischievous glint indicating there is more to come. Evidently, showing off in front of a crowd was a genetic inheritance: look at the way the boy grabbed his fist! D.C. had toughened him up, or perhaps it’s one of his friends he’s trying to impress.
For any onlookers, Mac almost looks like a bully, so he swings his arm to rest on his brother’s shoulder, flashing a smile at the interns -- he’d already forgotten their names, hadn’t really paid attention when JP was introducing them, Mary and Sarah, was it? -- and offering a head of acknowledgement.
“The bigger and better one; pleasure,” he quips, and before he can decide which one of them is the most attractive, he’s faced with JP.
“Alright, you little pit bull, calm down.” he says, chuckling lowly. “Mum told me to take you out for lunch. She’s worried you’re not eating well,” he lies. He wanted to take his brother out for lunch. “The boys in the office are going for steak; I turned that down for you,” he says, pointing at his brother. “So, quit complaining, grab your shit, and let’s go.”
He catches one of the interns looking, and he simply grins back with a small nod. “And, by the way, I’ll be able to recognise my half-pint sized brother from the moon, so start getting used to it,” he teases with a squeeze of the shoulder.
