Third-year PhD candidate Olive Smith doesn't believe in lasting romantic relationships - but her best friend does. Convincing Anh that Olive is dating was always going to require proof. So, like any self-respecting biologist, Olive panics and kisses the first man she sees - Adam Carlsen, a young hotshot professor. Olive is floored when Stanford's reigning lab tyrant agrees to keep her charade a secret and be her fake boyfriend. But when a big science conference goes haywire, putting Olive's career on the Bunsen burner, Adam surprises her with his unyielding support. Suddenly their little experiment feels dangerously close to combustion.