Plot
Olive Smith is a PhD candidate at Stanford University studying Biology. She broke up with her boyfriend Jeremy after realizing he and her friend Anh had feelings for each other. Olive lies to Anh saying she's seeing someone, so that Anh will feel comfortable asking out Jeremy. Olive goes to the lab instead, but Anh shows up unexpectedly. To cover her lie, Olive kisses the first guy she sees, who turns out to be Dr. Adam J. Carlsen, superstar biologist and professor notorious for his withdrawn demeanor and harsh feedback. When Adam questions Olive about the kiss, Olive explains about Anh and Jeremy.
Anh questions Olive about Adam, then Adam corroborates Olive's story, successfully convincing Anh. Olive runs into Anh again outside and reassures Anh that their relationship is real and convinces her to pursue Jeremy.
Olive worries what the Biology department will think of her relationship with 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 month after since Adam's funds will be released by then.
Meanwhile, Olive is trying to connect with cancer researchers across the country to help finish up 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 a project of hers, and writing a report for Tom, Olive gets a spot in his lab to finish up her research in Boston the next year.
Olive realizes that she is starting to genuinely like Adam. She talks with her other best friend and roommate Malcolm, who encourages her to tell Adam, but Olive refuses. However, as she spoke, Adam had been standing behind her, for their regular Wednesday morning coffee date. 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, she is visited by Adam's friend and colleague, Dr. Holden Rodrigues, who tells Olive 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 on a faculty panel about her research. Afterwards, Tom congratulates her, and unexpectedly tries to kiss her. Tom reveals that he only accepted her to the panel to flatter Adam, and he belittles her and her research. When Olive vows to tell Adam and leave his lab, Tom threatens to steal her research.
Adam returns from his presentation, and consoles Olive. She lies that she is upset because she heard people mocking her presentation. 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 repeatedly, he tells her he wishes she saw herself the way he saw her, and they sleep together. After Adam leaves the hotel, Olive also discovers that it's the day they were supposed to break up, and that Adam's research funds have been released. Olive decides that she can't hold Adam back from his career and friendship with Tom, so she breaks up with him.
Olive is visited by Anh and Malcolm. In the process of trying to shorten a recording of her faculty panel to send to her advisor, Olive mistakenly plays out loud Tom's words to Olive. Her friends are enraged, and as Anh encourages her to tell Adam, Malcolm reveals the truth about Adam and Olive's relationship. Anh is stunned, having been convinced that their relationship was real. With support from her friends, and realizing that Adam would believe her, Olive decides to tell Adam the truth about Tom.
Olive goes to the restaurant where Adam is dining with Harvard faculty, including Tom. Olive plans to covertly meet Adam, but he walks up to her, concerned about her. 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 that had inspired her while she was interviewing for Stanford, despite her not knowing his identity at the time.
Olive and Adam walk home together after the 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.
In the end, Olive continues her research at UC Berkeley, and Adam remains at Stanford.
