Page 301 - The Love Hypothesis

Olive gasped. She covered her mouth with her hand, and immediately

opened another email.

Today, 3:19 p.m.
FROM: Robert-Gordon@umn.edu
TO: Aysegul-Aslan@stanford.edu, Ol ive-Smith@s tanford.edu

SUBJECT: Pancreatic Cancer Project

Dr. Aslan, Ms. Smith,

Your work on pancreatic cance r is fascin ating, and I would
welcome the opportunity for a co llaboration. We should set

up a Zoom meeting.
-R

There were two more emails. Four total from cancer researchers, all
following up on Dr. Aslan’s introductory message and saying they’d love

having Olive in their labs. She felt a surge of happiness so violent, it almost
made her dizzy.

“Ol, look who I ran into.”
Olive shot up to her feet. Malcolm was there, holding Holden’s hand,

and barely a step behind them—
Adam. Looking tired, and handsome, and as large in real life as he’d

been in her mind for the past twenty-four hours. Looking straight at her.
Olive recalled the words he’d said last night in the restaurant and felt her
cheeks heat, her chest constrict, her heart beat out of her skin.

“Hear me out,” Holden started without even saying hi, “the four of us:
double date. Tonight.”

Adam ignored him and came to stand next Olive. “How are you?” he
asked in a low tone.
“Good.” For the first time in days, it wasn’t even a lie. Adam was here.

And all those emails were in her inbox. “You?”