Page 53 - The Love Hypothesis

Olive cocked her head. “Are you enjoying this?”

“ ‘Enjoying’ is probably not the right word, but you have to admit that
it’s quite entertaining.”
She had no idea what he was talking about. There was nothing

entertaining about the fact that she had randomly kissed a faculty member
because he was the only person in the hallway and that, as a consequence of

that spectacularly idiotic action, everyone thought she was dating someone
she’d met exactly twice before today—

She burst into laughter and folded into herself before her train of thought
was even over, overwhelmed by the sheer improbability of the situation.

This was her life. These were the results of her actions. When she could
finally breathe again, her abs hurt and she had to wipe her eyes. “This is the
worst.”

He was smiling, staring at her with a strange light in his eyes. And
would you look at that: Adam Carlsen had dimples. Cute ones. “Yep.”

“And it’s all my fault.”
“Pretty much. I kind of yanked Anh’s chain yesterday, but yeah, I’d say

that it’s mostly your fault.”
Fake dating. Adam Carlsen. Olive would have to be a lunatic. “Wouldn’t

it be a problem that you’re faculty and I’m a graduate student?”
He tilted his head, going serious. “It wouldn’t look great, but I don’t
think so, no. Since I have no authority whatsoever over you and am not

involved in your supervision. But I can ask around.”
It was an epically bad idea. The worst idea ever entertained in the

epically bad history of bad ideas. Except that it really would solve this
current problem of hers, as well as some of Adam’s, in exchange for saying

hi to him once a week and making an effort not to call him Dr. Carlsen. It
seemed like a pretty good deal.

“Can I think about it?”
“Of course,” he said calmly. Reassuringly.
She hadn’t thought he’d be like this. After hearing all the stories, and

seeing him walk around with that perpetual frown of his, she really hadn’t