Page 221 - The Love Hypothesis

“Or Italian? Pizza would be great. And maybe there’s something celery-

based that you could order.”
“Burgers it is.”
Olive laughed. “What about Chinese?”

“Had it for lunch.”
“Well, people in China have Chinese food multiple times a day, so you

shouldn’t let that stop you from— Oh.”
It took Adam two whole steps to realize that Olive had stopped in the

middle of the sidewalk. He whirled around to look at her. “What?”
“There.” She pointed to the red-and-white sign across the road.

Adam’s gaze followed, and for a long moment he simply stared,
blinking several times. And then: “No.”
“There,” she repeated, feeling her cheeks widen into a grin.

“Olive.” There was a deep vertical line between his eyebrows. “No.
There are way better restaurants we can—”

“But I want to go to that one.”
“Why? There’s—”

She moved closer to him and grasped the sleeve of his blazer. “Please.
Please?”

Adam pinched his nose, sighed, and pursed his lips. But not five seconds
later he put his hand between her shoulder blades to guide her across the
street.

—

THE PROBLEM, HE explained in hushed tones as they waited to be seated, was
not the sushi train, but the all-you-can-eat for twenty dollars.
“It’s never a good sign,” he told her, but his voice sounded more

resigned than combative, and when the server ushered them inside, he
followed her meekly to the booth. Olive marveled at the plates traveling on

the conveyor belt weaving across the restaurant, unable to stop her
openmouthed grin. When she remembered Adam’s presence and turned her

attention back to him, he was staring at her with an expression halfway
between exasperated and indulgent.