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  Bella is a PhD student at Stanford who is completely focused on her research and her future. She’s hardworking, funny, independent, and always willing to do something ridiculous if it means helping the people she loves.

Her best friend Anh has started developing feelings for Jeremy.

The problem is that Bella used to have feelings for Jeremy.

Anh knows this, so even though Jeremy clearly likes her, Anh refuses to date him because of girl code. She doesn’t want to get together with someone she thinks her best friend still has feelings for.

Bella doesn’t want Anh to give up a chance at being happy because of her.

So Bella tries to convince Anh that she’s completely over Jeremy.

She needs Anh to see that Bella doesn’t like Jeremy and that she’s moved on and is interested in someone else.

That’s when Bella makes a completely impulsive decision.

She pretends she’s dating someone.

And when Anh unexpectedly catches her without the “date” she’s supposedly on, Bella panics and kisses the first man she sees.

Unfortunately…

That man is Dr. Adam Carlsen.

Adam is one of the most intimidating professors at Stanford. He’s brilliant, serious, blunt, and has a reputation for being terrifyingly difficult to impress.

Bella barely knows him.

So when she realizes what she’s done, she’s completely mortified.

But instead of exposing her, Adam goes along with it.

And that’s when Adam explains that the fake relationship could actually help him, too.

Adam has his own reason for agreeing to this. Stanford university is trying to debate whether Adam actually wants to stay at the university. He’s an incredibly valuable researcher, and there are concerns that he could leave for another school.

Adam realizes that having a serious relationship could make him look more settled and give the university another reason to believe he’s actually planning to stay.

So when Bella asks him to pretend to be her boyfriend, Adam realizes it’s actually useful for him too.

It’s a win-win situation.

Bella gets Anh to believe she’s genuinely moved on from Jeremy.

Adam gets everyone at Stanford to believe he’s settled and has a reason to stay.

They agree that they’ll pretend to be a real couple.

Except pretending to be together requires them to actually act like a couple.

They have to hold hands.

They have to sit close together.

They have to show up to events together.

They have to make it believable when people are watching.

Sometimes Adam puts his arm around Bella or gently takes her hand.

Sometimes Bella leans against him or acts comfortable being close to him.

They even have to kiss occasionally when they need to convince people that their relationship is real.

At first, both of them know it’s all an act.

Adam starts doing things that aren’t necessary for their fake relationship. He checks on Bella when she’s stressed, remembers little things she tells him, supports her research, and becomes noticeably softer whenever she’s around.

Bella starts realizing that Adam isn’t the cold, intimidating professor everyone thinks he is.

Sometimes when Adam touches her hand, looks at her, or pulls her closer, it doesn’t feel fake anymore.

They’re supposed to be pretending.

But somewhere along the way, their fake relationship starts turning into something real.