Till Summer Do Us Part

Aside from their CEO, Ellison, Scottie is the only woman in her company. Ellison calls a meeting, and Scottie observes how “The Brads and Chad,” a bunch of “finance bros” (9), surround her. To make matters worse, everyone in her company is either married or partnered, making Scottie feel like “the lonely spinster on the outside” (13) as they share their weekend plans with their partners. Ellison arrives at the meeting, and Scottie is no longer the only woman present. She highly respects Ellison and longs to impress her enough to advance in her career. As Ellison converses with the men about their lives and partners, Scottie feels increasingly out of place, so when Ellison asks about her weekend plans, she responds without thinking, saying she has plans with her husband. No one was aware that Scottie was married, and Chad quickly points out that she isn’t wearing a ring, asking if she is lying just to fit in. Angry at Chad’s accusation and emboldened by the pending humiliation of admitting she lied, Scottie commits to the story and says she and her husband are going through a rough time.

Ellison asks to speak with Scottie privately and explains that her husband is Sanders Martin, a renowned marriage counselor with a successful track record of helping people in the company with marital problems. Ellison schedules Scottie an appointment for the following day, and Scottie fake-texts her non-existent husband to confirm the time. They return to the meeting with Scottie’s head spinning as to how she will acquire a husband in less than 24 hours.

Scottie is at Stockings, her favorite gay bar, where her best friend Mika bartends. Her other best friend, Denise, who is a makeup artist, meets her there. Denise is excited because she just booked Brie Coopertart’s wedding. Scottie tries to be supportive of her friend, but Denise notices her lack of enthusiasm, and Mika explains that Scottie has had a rough day.

After Scottie explains her debacle, both Mika and Denise chide her for making such a bad decision. Scottie begs Mika to pretend to be her husband, but he reminds her that the therapist will instantly know he’s gay, plus he has his therapy appointment at the same time. Mika offers his brother Wilder to play the role. He’s 27 and recently retired after selling an app he developed. Mika texts Wilder, and he agrees. Scottie is relieved because she was considering asking her ex-husband for help.

Wilder is working on his nightly wordsearch when Mika texts him to ask if he would be Scottie’s fake wife. Wilder is bored in his retirement and has been taking improv classes. He figures the fake counseling session will be a good way to practice his acting techniques. He texts with Scottie, and they agree on a meeting place. The next day, Wilder meets Derek, his accountant and Denise’s partner, for breakfast before meeting Scottie. Derek thinks the fake marriage is a bad idea, but Wilder insists it will be fun.

Wilder meets Scottie at their appointed time, and she’s visibly disappointed when she sees that he’s wearing a worn t-shirt and jeans. Wilder feels she’s being ungrateful, considering the favor he’s doing for her. He finds her “cold, standoffish” demeanor off-putting. Scottie introduces herself and asks him how she can repay him for the favor, but Wilder says there’s nothing he needs or wants. They quickly review the plan for addressing the therapist’s questions about their relationship, agreeing that they’ll play it like Wilder doesn’t want kids. Scottie is visibly frustrated and wants to get this over with so that they can go their separate ways. Wilder reminds her that his brother is her best friend and they will likely run into each other again. Wilder says he might one day need her “to return the favor in a fake marriage scheme” (42), and Scottie agrees she would out of obligation.

After seeing how attractive Wilder is, Scottie regrets the entire plan. She can’t stop staring at his lip ring and grey eyes as they enter the therapist’s office. Sanders’s office is surprisingly cluttered and messy, and he is wearing athletic shorts, a tropical shirt, and sandals. He and Wilder hit it off immediately, talking about sports, which annoys Scottie. Wilder takes the lead in crafting an elaborate story about how their marital problems stem from a thawing sex life because Scottie doesn’t want children. Scottie becomes infuriated when he changes the script on the spot. Wilder continues with a detailed story about taking a birthday trip and, due to a booking mishap, having to camp in sleeping bags, which resulted in Wilder getting his penis caught in a zipper and needing surgical removal. Scottie is embarrassed that the session is “off the rails.” They begin to quarrel about all the things that annoy them about each other. Sanders sees their argument as a good sign that there’s still something to salvage in their relationship. He wants to send them on an eight-day marriage retreat in the Catskills. Wilder agrees to go, but Scottie says she can’t get off work. Sanders says he’ll handle the arrangements with Ellison, and Scottie realizes there’s no way out.

Outside Sanders’s office, Wilder commends them on nailing the performance, but Scottie is furious. She can’t believe how off script he went and that he agreed to and paid for them to attend an eight-day, $15,000 marriage retreat. Scottie decides her only choice is to tell Ellison the truth and risk losing her job. Wilder feels bad about making Scottie upset, especially since she’s been such a loyal friend to Mika. She explains that she doesn’t fully comprehend the “marriage cult” that is her workplace. She doesn’t love her job and would like to find something more suited to her passion. Wilder proposes that they attend the retreat, declare it a success, and continue their fake marriage act until Scottie can find a new job. Scottie worries it might take time to find a new position, and she can’t understand why Wilder would agree to such a commitment. Wilder says that playing the role will be an “experience” and will continue to help him with his improv. He offers to help her for six months.

Back at work, Ellison asks Scottie how the counseling session went. Scottie reports that it went so well, Sanders wants them to attend the retreat. Ellison happily agrees to give her the time off and adds that all the Brads and Chad are attending with their spouses, as well as her, solidifying that there is no way out for Scottie.

Wilder has researched the retreat and texts Scottie that he is going shopping for supplies. They discover they both like Nerd Clusters, but Scottie doesn’t want this shared liking to be a “thing.” Money seems to be no object for Wilder, and Scottie makes a mental note to ask Mika about it. Wilder explains that he spends money on things that “matter” to him, like his Brooklyn brownstone, quality binoculars, and an autographed copy of Stephen King’s Misery. Scottie mistakenly thinks she’ll be bunking with the other wives, but Wilder explains they’ll be sharing a cabin. She exclaims that she can’t sleep with him if he snores, has bad breath, or has wet dreams, and demands that he buy an air mattress. Wilder assures her he’s safe to share a bed with and says he won’t be around much because he plans to take long walks to bird watch.

At the bar, Scottie regales Mika with the tale of her day with Wilder and how he “didn’t follow instructions” and went “off script.” Mika explains that Wilder isn’t an actor but a wealthy man looking to have experiences with his life. With Mika’s help, Scottie realizes that she hadn’t fully explained to Wilder that she planned to end the therapy session in a breakup. Since Wilder is always looking for adventure, he wouldn’t have passed up the opportunity to go to camp. Mika adds that Wilder is a loose cannon sometimes, but “humble” and generous.

Wilder picks up Scottie in his green Jeep. He notices she is anxious and wary of getting into the car, so he offers her the chance to ask him questions to get to know him better. He wants her to feel comfortable with him. Wilder shares that he studied art in college and developed the “Soda Tracker” app, which helps people track down and keep up with where the best sodas are in a town. He sold the app when it became too large for him to manage, but he is still remotely involved. He spends his time now taking improv classes and volunteering for various organizations. He can’t leave the city because Mika struggles with mental health occasionally and depends on Wilder for support. Wilder hasn’t had a serious relationship since high school and rarely dates now because his wealth complicates things. Scottie seems more at ease, and they start their trip.

On the drive, they discuss the plan because Wilder wants specific “instructions” for how to behave. Wilder needs to tone down his approach and not rely on the improv rule that everything is a “yes.” They work out the details of their story, such as how they met and what the root of their marital problems is. Scottie is most concerned about convincing Chad they are a real couple since he is the one who tried to expose her in the first place. Scottie says they should be affectionate but not overly so, limiting their physical touch to hand holding and front-facing hugs—and no kissing. She asks that Wilder not befriend the Brads and Chad because they are “pawns” in their scheme. They agree that he will respect her privacy in their shared living space. The conversation makes Wilder more curious about Scottie’s past, as he can tell someone has hurt her. He agrees to her rules and notes that they have a lot in common, “Like two peas in a pod” (90).