Chapter Four
Contains spoilersOverview
Olive and Adam begin their weekly coffee dates, trading banter that unexpectedly builds rapport and public proof of their relationship. Olive prepares for an important meeting with Tom Benton, while Adam’s research funds remain frozen pending departmental “monitoring.” Olive proposes being seen together at the fall picnic to help. The chapter ends with a twist: Tom Benton is Adam’s friend and collaborator, entangling Olive’s prospects with Adam.
Summary
Olive arrives late and grumpy to the first fake-dating Wednesday. In the crowded campus café, she realizes for the first time that Adam is strikingly handsome. To make their act credible, she quizzes him on trivial “couple” facts; he grudgingly picks black as a favorite color and reveals he was born in The Hague. Adam insists on paying, and Olive shares she’s Canadian, moved for college, and doesn’t plan to return. They part on unexpectedly warm terms after playful jabs about colors.
An email from Tom Benton confirms a campus visit and a Wednesday afternoon meeting in Dr. Aysegul Aslan’s lab about Olive’s pancreatic cancer screening project.
The following Wednesday, Olive is late again after late-night prep, outfit worries, and Googling Benton. Adam is in a foul mood; Olive teases him by ordering chamomile tea for him and learns he runs. He reveals the department chair is still “monitoring” him and has not released his research funds. Though Adam can shuffle other grants to proceed, Olive reframes the setback, suggesting they be visibly together at the fall biosciences picnic to counter rumors.
They banter about pumpkin spice latte as rain begins. Outside, Olive pitches the picnic plan when a blond man greets Adam. Introductions reveal the man is Tom Benton—Adam’s friend and collaborator—stunning Olive and linking her hoped-for opportunity to Adam in an unexpected way.
Who Appears
- Olive Smith
Grad student protagonist; attends two staged coffee dates, bonds with Adam, prepares for Benton, proposes the picnic plan.
- Adam Carlsen
Professor and fake boyfriend; pays for coffee, from The Hague, moody over frozen funds, hates pumpkin spice, friends with Tom.
- Tom Benton
Harvard PI interested in Olive’s project; schedules a meeting and is revealed as Adam’s friend and collaborator.
- Department Chair
Continues to ‘monitor’ Adam and withholds release of his Stanford research funds.
- Dr. Aysegul Aslan
Olive’s PI; hosts Olive’s upcoming meeting with Tom Benton and requires lab attendance at the fall picnic.
- Malcolm
Olive’s friend and roommate; endures her late-night pitch practice and pushes her to bed.