Chapter 7: Fake Dating and Mutual Benefit

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

After the tense town meeting, Mayor Kelly apologizes to Daisy, but her mind is on Elliot. She fears she missed him, yet she knows they must talk. Daisy is conflicted: grateful for his defense, annoyed at his unilateral decision, and skeptical of his crazy plan. Yet the financial pressure on her flower shop makes her consider it. Hazel and Noah join them, and when Elliot approaches, Daisy loops her arm through his to sell the act. She tells her friends they’re a new secret couple, while internally dreading the deceit. Elliot awkwardly chats with Noah about his mother’s rental house. Once alone on Main Street, Daisy angrily hits Elliot and demands an explanation. He explains he wanted to help, and they could fake break up, but Daisy realizes that would worsen the curse rumors. Elliot admits he’s also broken-hearted—his ex-wife kept their house and dog, and he’s been single for two years. They agree to a mutually beneficial fake relationship: it will quiet the town about Daisy’s curse and appease Elliot’s worried mother. They walk past local shops, stop at a pet store, and Elliot reveals he ate cereal from their surviving wedding china after smashing some. Daisy shows him her tiny apartment behind the flower shop, embarrassed by her circumstances. Over tea, they set ground rules, including food allergies. Despite a moment of unexpected attraction, Daisy suppresses it, reminding herself this is a business deal. The chapter ends with them laughing, feeling understood by each other.

Key Events

Daisy and Elliot’s friends witness their awkward public embrace after the meeting.
Daisy covers their relationship as a new secret, but privately panics.
Alone on Main Street, Daisy confronts Elliot and they debate the fake relationship.
Elliot explains his two-year dating drought and his mother’s pressure.
Daisy admits her business is failing and the curse rumors are harming her.
They agree on a fake-dating arrangement for mutual benefit.
Elliot shares details of his divorce: losing the house, the dog, and smashing wedding china.
Daisy shows Elliot her cramped apartment; she feels shame but Elliot’s understanding reassures her.
They set guidelines for the fake relationship and joke about food allergies.

Character Development

Daisy: Her practical side emerges as she weighs the pros and cons of the fake relationship. She is vulnerable about her financial struggles and her past heartbreak, but also shows agency by taking the lead in negotiating terms. Her brief attraction to Elliot surprises her, revealing a desire for connection she tries to deny.
Elliot: He demonstrates sincerity and a willingness to take risks for Daisy’s sake. His openness about his divorce and his quirky habit of eating from wedding china humanize him and build trust. He proves to be a good listener and a supportive partner in this scheme.
Hazel and Noah: Their reactions highlight the town’s gossip culture. Noah’s approval of Elliot’s renovation work and Hazel’s teasing show they are supportive friends, but also potential sources of scrutiny.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Fake Relationship as a Shield: Both characters use the façade to protect themselves from real vulnerability. It becomes a business arrangement where they can control the narrative around love and failure.
The Curse Motif: The town’s belief in a romantic curse is used to explain Daisy’s bad luck, but the chapter suggests the real curse is small-town gossip and financial insecurity. The fake relationship aims to break that spell.
Wedding China Smashing: Elliot’s act of breaking the china symbolizes release from his past marriage. Eating cereal from a surviving bowl shows he holds onto small remnants without letting them define him.
The Kitten Window: The image of kittens in the pet shop window hints at the possibility of new beginnings and comfort, but Daisy doesn’t get a pet—she gets a fake boyfriend instead.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 7 is the turning point where the fake-relationship plot is cemented. It transforms Elliot from a stranger into a confidant and ally. The chapter deepens both characters’ backstories—Elliot’s divorce and Daisy’s forced return to the flower shop—and establishes the rules of their arrangement. It also raises the stakes: if the plan fails, Daisy’s reputation and business could be ruined. The emotional intimacy that begins here will shape the rest of the novel.

Study Questions and Answers

Why does Daisy ultimately agree to Elliot’s fake-dating proposal?
Daisy agrees because she needs to stop the town’s curse rumors that are hurting her flower shop sales. She also recognizes a kindred spirit in Elliot—both are nursing romantic wounds—and believes a mutual arrangement can help Elliot with his mother while protecting her from real emotional risk.
What does Elliot’s story about smashing his wedding china reveal about his character?
It shows Elliot copes with pain through action and dark humor. Rather than staying stuck, he found a cathartic release in destruction and then kept one bowl for everyday use, suggesting he can hold memories without letting them rule him. This honesty makes Daisy trust him.
How does the author use setting (the walk home and the apartment) to reflect Daisy’s internal state?
The walk past familiar shops highlights how small-town life traps Daisy in her past. Her cluttered, undecorated apartment mirrors her emotional stagnation—she hasn’t made a home because she hasn’t moved on from David. Elliot’s nonjudgmental presence there signals a potential change.