Plot
Olive Smith is a Stanford University Biology PhD candidate. Olive lies about dating someone to her friend Anh, so that Anh will feel comfortable asking out Olive's ex-boyfriend, Jeremy. Olive goes to the lab instead of going on a date, but Anh shows up. To cover her lie, Olive kisses the first guy she sees, who turns out to be Dr. Adam J. Carlsen, a biology professor notorious for his withdrawn demeanor and harsh feedback. Olive explains to Adam about Anh and Jeremy.
Adam corroborates Olive's story, to Anh, convincing her. Olive convinces Anh to pursue Jeremy.
Olive worries when rumors spread in the Biology department about Olive and Adam. Adam suggests that they keep up the illusion because it serves her intention for Anh. It would also help Adam since Stanford is suspicious about his future academic plans and withheld a portion of his research funds because of it. They both agree to the fake relationship and that they will break up the weekend of an upcoming Biology conference in Boston the next month, after Adam's funds have been released.
Olive connects with cancer researchers across the country to help finish her pancreatic cancer research. Dr. Tom Benton from Harvard University expresses interest, and when they meet, Olive realizes that Adam and Tom are collaborators and friends from grad school. After talking about her current project, Olive gets a spot in Tom's lab to finish up her research in Boston the next year.
Olive's other best friend, and roommate, Malcolm, encourages her to tell Adam, that she likes him but she refuses. However, as she spoke, Adam had been standing behind her waiting for her. Once Adam and Olive are alone again, Adam asks about what she said, and Olive lies that she was talking about someone else. When Adam heads out to Boston on a trip, Adam's best friend and colleague, Dr. Holden Rodrigues visits Olive and tells her that Adam's wanted to ask her out for a long time. Olive refuses to believe this, citing Adam's directness and that she believes he is out of her league.
At the conference, Olive rooms with Adam. She presents her research on a panel. Tom congratulates her and tries to kiss her. Tom reveals he accepted her to the panel to flatter Adam, and Tom belittles her and her research. Tom threatens to steal her research after Olive vows to tell Adam and leave Tom's lab.
Adam consoles Olive after his presentation. She lies that mocking her presentation upset her. To cheer her up, Adam takes her out. Back in their room, they open up to each other; Adam talks about his and Holden's abusive PhD advisor at Harvard and how Tom saved him. He tells her he wishes she saw herself the way he sees her, and they sleep together. Adam reveals that he is interviewing with Harvard to be closer to Tom for working on their grant. After Adam leaves the hotel, Olive discovers that it's the day they were supposed to break up and that Adam's research funds have been released. Olive breaks up with Adam rather than hold him back from his career and friendship with Tom.
In the process of trying to shorten a recording of her faculty panel, Olive mistakenly plays out what Tom said to her, while Anh and Malcolm are visiting her. Her friends are enraged, and as Anh encourages her to tell Adam, Malcolm reveals Adam and Olive's relationship had been fake. Anh is stunned, having been convinced that their relationship was real. With support from her friends, realizing that Adam would believe her, and hearing from Holden that Adam chose to interview at Harvard to be closer to her, Olive goes to tell Adam the truth about Tom.
Olive goes to the restaurant where Adam is with Harvard faculty, including Tom. Olive plans to meet Adam alone, but he walks up to her, concerned. Olive plays the panel recording for Adam. Tom tries to deny it, but Adam lunges at Tom, and he confesses his love for Olive and vows to hurt Tom as revenge. Olive tells him to stop, and Adam promises to find her after he takes care of everything.
Back in California, after Adam and Holden return, Holden proposes a double date with Adam and Olive, and Holden and Malcolm. On this date, Holden reveals that Adam and Olive had met when she was interviewing for the program in her first year, and he's been interested in her ever since. Olive learns that he was the person who had inspired her to accept her PhD offer while she was interviewing for Stanford, despite her not knowing his identity at the time.
Olive and Adam walk home together after dinner. He informs her that Tom was fired from Harvard and apologizes to her for trusting Tom with her. She admits that she lied about liking someone else and confesses her feelings to him.
Olive continues her research at UC Berkeley, and Adam remains at Stanford.
