The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
“What is it?”“Calories. To fuel your despair habits.”“Oh.” She accepted it and then studied the protein bar inher hands, trying not to burst out crying. It was just food.Probably a snack he’d brought for the plane ride and ended upnot eating. He didn’t need to despair, after all. He was Dr.Adam Carlsen. “Thanks. Are you . . .” The wrapping of the barcrinkled as she shifted it from one hand to another. “Are youstill coming to my talk?”“Of course. When is it exactly?”“Today at four, room 278. Session three-b. The good newsis that it partially overlaps with the keynote address, whichmeans that hopefully only a handful of people will showup . . .”His spine stiffened noticeably. Olive hesitated.“Unless you were planning to go to the keynote address?”Adam wet his lips. “I . . .”Her eyes chose that precise moment to fall to theconference badge dangling from his neck.Adam Carlsen, Ph.D.Stanford UniversityKeynote SpeakerHer jaw dropped.“Oh my God.” She looked up at him, wide-eyed, and . . .Oh God. At least he had the grace to look sheepish. “How didyou not tell me that you are the keynote speaker?”Adam scratched his jaw, oozing discomfort. “I didn’t thinkof it.”
“Oh my God,” she repeated.To be fair, it was on her. The name of the keynote speakerwas likely printed in font size 300 in the program, and all thepromotional material, not to mention the conference app andthe emails. Olive must have had her head very much up herbutt to fail to notice.“Adam.” She made to rub her eyes with her fingers, andthen thought better of it. Damn makeup. “I can’t be fakedatingSBD’s keynote speaker.”“Well, there are technically three keynote speakers, and theother two are married women in their fifties who live inEurope and Japan, so—”Olive crossed her arms on her chest and gave him a flatlook until he quieted. She couldn’t help laughing. “How didthis not come up?”“It’s not a big deal.” He shrugged. “I doubt I was their firstchoice.”“Right.” Sure. Because a person existed who’d refuse to bekeynote speaker at SBD. She tilted her head. “Did you think Iwas an idiot, when I started complaining about my ten-minutetalk that will be attended by fourteen and a half people?”“Not at all. Your reaction was understandable.” He thoughtabout it for a moment. “I do sometimes think you’re an idiot,mostly when I see you put ketchup and cream cheese onbagels.”“It’s a great mix.”He looked pained. “When are you presenting in yourpanel? Maybe I can still make it.”“No. I’m exactly halfway through.” She waved a hand,hoping to seem unconcerned. “It’s fine, really.” And it was.“I’m going to have to record myself with my iPhone, anyway.”
- Page 190 and 191: added begrudgingly, “he’s not n
- Page 192 and 193: noticeably different from the Adam
- Page 194 and 195: “Ol.”“How would that conversa
- Page 196 and 197: The lie rolled off her tongue like
- Page 198 and 199: It was all Olive could do not to le
- Page 200 and 201: Olive looked at Adam, expecting him
- Page 202 and 203: “Not sure. Not sure Holden knows,
- Page 204 and 205: She paused right in front of his ch
- Page 206 and 207: “We could, like, sleep in on Sund
- Page 208 and 209: Olive: Well, TSA is notoriously inc
- Page 210 and 211: “Adam being gone. Hell, even I mi
- Page 212 and 213: “But I could tell you so many jui
- Page 214 and 215: stricken and frantic. “I can’t.
- Page 216 and 217: crap her pants. “Right.” Olive
- Page 218 and 219: “Well.” He fidgeted with the ca
- Page 220 and 221: “You’re not mad, right?”“I
- Page 222 and 223: Possibilities. That’s what Adam
- Page 224 and 225: them. I do hate that I love them, t
- Page 226 and 227: Could room.With him.Olive knew full
- Page 228 and 229: She huffed, crossing her arms over
- Page 230 and 231: “No.” She winced.“Is it the p
- Page 232 and 233: “Adam, I’m pretty sure that if
- Page 234 and 235: me to cry under the shower?”“Th
- Page 236 and 237: to my professional career, general
- Page 238 and 239: “Hey.” Olive forced her face in
- Page 242 and 243: She rolled her eyes. “For Dr. Asl
- Page 244 and 245: It didn’t go perfectly, either. S
- Page 246 and 247: friends, but maybe she could buy hi
- Page 248 and 249: “A pretty girl like you should kn
- Page 250 and 251: to spending more time with you next
- Page 252 and 253: “Nothing.” Her voice shook. It
- Page 254 and 255: “It’s not what they say. It’s
- Page 256 and 257: “And I keynote-spoke.” He grabb
- Page 258 and 259: “Um . . . I’m wearing heels, he
- Page 260 and 261: She moved closer to him and grasped
- Page 262 and 263: “It’s appalling.”“—or the
- Page 264 and 265: like having a thousand little splin
- Page 266 and 267: well on her way to wasted by that p
- Page 268 and 269: “An obscenity, isn’t it? It’s
- Page 270 and 271: “For a moment there, during the t
- Page 272 and 273: “The opposite of discipline and h
- Page 274 and 275: Adam shook his head. “He wanted a
- Page 276 and 277: all of it, maybe it was always goin
- Page 278 and 279: “Olive.” He sighed heavily, clo
- Page 280: It was a little embarrassing, the a
- Page 283 and 284: studying her, it brooked no self-co
- Page 285 and 286: “No.” He shook his head. “Not
- Page 287 and 288: And I bet you do this all the time,
- Page 289 and 290: —IT TOOK HER the longest time to
“Oh my God,” she repeated.
To be fair, it was on her. The name of the keynote speaker
was likely printed in font size 300 in the program, and all the
promotional material, not to mention the conference app and
the emails. Olive must have had her head very much up her
butt to fail to notice.
“Adam.” She made to rub her eyes with her fingers, and
then thought better of it. Damn makeup. “I can’t be fakedating
SBD’s keynote speaker.”
“Well, there are technically three keynote speakers, and the
other two are married women in their fifties who live in
Europe and Japan, so—”
Olive crossed her arms on her chest and gave him a flat
look until he quieted. She couldn’t help laughing. “How did
this not come up?”
“It’s not a big deal.” He shrugged. “I doubt I was their first
choice.”
“Right.” Sure. Because a person existed who’d refuse to be
keynote speaker at SBD. She tilted her head. “Did you think I
was an idiot, when I started complaining about my ten-minute
talk that will be attended by fourteen and a half people?”
“Not at all. Your reaction was understandable.” He thought
about it for a moment. “I do sometimes think you’re an idiot,
mostly when I see you put ketchup and cream cheese on
bagels.”
“It’s a great mix.”
He looked pained. “When are you presenting in your
panel? Maybe I can still make it.”
“No. I’m exactly halfway through.” She waved a hand,
hoping to seem unconcerned. “It’s fine, really.” And it was.
“I’m going to have to record myself with my iPhone, anyway.”
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