First and Forever

Duffy Distefano, a tax accountant and lifelong Minneapolis Coyotes football fan, has become the most hated woman in the Twin Cities. Two weeks earlier, the team's mascot, Coyote Carl, blocked her view during overtime, hugged her without consent, and groped her. She pushed him, sending him tumbling down the stadium stairs on camera. Because the jumbotron captured only the push, the public branded her "Football Karen" and blamed her for cursing the team after they lost. Her father, Tony, a devoted season ticket holder, arranges for her to tell her side on the local morning show, Kel and Kell in the Morning.

The hosts surprise Duffy by bringing out Connor Cunningham, the Coyotes' star tight end. Overwhelmed, Duffy inadvertently mocks his dropped pass and faints; Tony rushes onstage and charms the audience. Connor apologizes on behalf of the organization for Carl's behavior, and the banter between them is so natural that the hosts suggest he has just asked Duffy on a date, leaving both caught off guard.

Behind the scenes, the Coyotes' vice president of publicity, Bethany Henderson, asks Connor to take Duffy to dinner as a public relations (PR) move to distract from the Carl scandal, which has worsened after other women came forward about the mascot. Connor agrees, partly to stay in the organization's good graces amid rumors of a roster overhaul, and partly because Duffy intrigued him. After a comically awkward phone call in which Tony picks up the extension and creates a three-way conversation, Duffy accepts.

Their first date mixes real chemistry with uncomfortable public exposure. Photographers wait outside the restaurant, tipped off by his team without Duffy's knowledge. When her boot heel breaks, Connor snaps off the other heel and gives her a piggyback ride to the car. At a dive bar afterward, they sing karaoke in disguise and genuinely connect. Duffy senses an almost-kiss at her door but panics and bolts. The date goes viral, and the public finds them adorable. Connor asks her out again, but she declines after finding cruel comments about her appearance online. She regrets the decision after her best friend and co-worker, Ellie Shanahan, shows her the overwhelmingly positive response.

Connor texts about finding her AirPods in his car, and they reconnect over a Minnesota Wild hockey game. When the kiss cam lands on them, Connor kisses the top of her head instead, later saying he did not want their first real kiss to happen under jumbotron pressure. In the parking garage afterward, he asks about his chances at a real date. Breathless, Duffy tells him his chances are "so good."

Duffy's brothers then recruit Connor into a ruse. They reveal that Tony has interstitial lung disease, which causes irreversible lung damage and requires supplemental oxygen. Tony has convinced himself Connor is Duffy's boyfriend, and with the anniversary of their mother's death approaching, the brothers suggest letting him keep believing it. Connor tells Duffy privately he welcomes the arrangement, since he is actively trying to date her. He throws himself into the role, sending flowers, gifts, and dinner deliveries, and Tony is visibly happier than he has been since his wife died.

Connor deepens his bond with the family, inviting them to his player suite for a game. On the eve of the anniversary, he hosts her family and teammates for a video game night at his apartment. That evening, Duffy visits her mother's grave alone and breaks down. Arriving at Connor's place afterward, overwhelmed by his kindness, she leads him onto the balcony and kisses him, their first real kiss. He tells her he wants more than a kiss born of gratitude. The next day at the cemetery, Connor arrives with flowers and wordlessly takes her hand.

Connor asks Duffy to fly to California to meet his grandfather, and she agrees. He reveals that his mother, who had a substance use condition, died when he was a baby, and his grandparents raised him. His grandfather's dementia is worsening. At the memory care facility, Duffy brings homemade cookies and charms the old man. The visit draws them closer, and they sleep together for the first time. Meanwhile, Tony's pulmonologist estimates he may need a lung transplant within five years.

Back in Minnesota, Connor plans their long-delayed second date: zombie hunting with paintball guns at a pumpkin patch. Duffy arrives in tactical gear. Connor sacrifices himself as a decoy so she can ambush all the zombies, and she declares it the best date she has ever had. Connor feels guilty because the pumpkin patch idea came from Bethany, though the zombie concept was his own. Over the following week, they settle into a genuine relationship. Connor surprises her with a White Castle picnic at the Commons, a downtown park, and they discuss love openly. Duffy describes wanting what her parents had: two people who are each other's favorite to hang out with. Connor realizes he is in love. That Sunday, Duffy stays overnight at his apartment for the first time.

The next morning, everything unravels. As Connor drives Duffy home, his agent Brian calls over Bluetooth and, unaware she is listening, praises Connor for "committing to the Duffy bit," reveals that the pumpkin patch was Bethany's idea, and mentions the team "bullied" Connor into the first date. Connor admits the first date was a PR stunt and the photographers were arranged, though he insists everything after was genuine. Duffy gets out on the freeway shoulder and walks away. Connor chases her and shouts that he loves her, but she tells him not to say it now, when she has just learned the relationship began as a sham.

Duffy refuses all contact. Tony tells Connor, "She's family, you're not." Bystanders record the freeway confrontation, and speculation returns about Duffy being a jinx. A week later, Tony pushes Duffy to attend a game. During the second half, Connor takes a brutal hit and does not get up. Duffy sprints across the entire stadium in under a minute, accidentally knocking down the new mascot. Sideline reporter Erin Andrews shows her the viral replay and asks if they are still together. Tony, recognizing the danger of another backlash, steers Duffy into saying on-camera that she will "probably" forgive Connor.

Duffy texts Connor asking for one more staged appearance to prevent the jinx narrative. They meet at a breakfast spot, but Connor cannot pretend. He tells her she is the best friend he has ever had and that every moment was real. He kisses her and walks out. Duffy chases him, trips on a sidewalk grate, and tackles him to the pavement. Lying on the sidewalk, she tells him she loves him, her first time saying those words to anyone outside her family. They reconcile and celebrate with an impromptu White Castle brunch at the Commons.

One year later, Duffy returns to Kel and Kell in the Morning. Tony, who received a successful lung transplant and is thriving, appears as a surprise guest and pressures Connor to propose on-camera. Connor produces his grandmother's ring, explaining his grandfather would want Duffy, "his cookie girl," to have it. Duffy says yes, and Connor tells her, "With you, it's forever."