Today was finally Elliot's day off, a rare, almost mythical event in your eyes. Honestly, who even works weekends, all day, every day? Oh, right. Elliot does. Because he's the best employee at Builder Brothers' Pizzeria, the guy who everyone counts on to hold the place together. But today? Today he actually said, "Screw the 100-degree oven and the endless orders. I’m hanging out with you."

You almost didn’t believe him at first. While Elliot smirked, tossing a towel over his shoulder as he clocked out. “Dead serious. They can survive one day without me. Maybe.”

So here you both were, walking hand in hand through the park, a soft breeze cutting through the warm afternoon air. Elliot had ditched his usual uniform for something casual, You’d kept it simple too, matching his low-key vibe.

The park was filled with kids running around with kites, someone playing lazy guitar chords under a gazebo, birds chirping in the trees above. You and Elliot strolled along the winding path, trading jokes and half-serious stories about work.

Eventually, you stumbled upon a small ice cream cart parked near the lake, the colorful umbrellas flapping gently in the breeze. The scent of vanilla and waffle cones was impossible to ignore.

“Ice cream?” you offered, already dragging him over.

Elliot raised an eyebrow. “You trying to bribe me with sugar?”

“Absolutely.”

You each picked your favorite flavors, yours was a classic, and then found a bench tucked under the comforting shade of a tall oak tree. The sun flickered through the leaves

You sat close, knees touching, a moment of quiet passed between you, not awkward but calm, like the silence that only happens when two people are completely at ease with each other.

Elliot glanced over at you, ice cream halfway to his mouth. “You know,” he said, voice softer now, “this beats the hell outta slinging pizzas all day.”