Events after an earthquake convince Owen, a writer of hack "as told to" autobiographies, to leave L.A. He burns his bridges telling people what he really thinks, quits his current client (a randy astronaut), and heads for the airport. Waiting for his flight to New York, he sees Val, a friend of his latest ex; they chat, and Owen postpones leaving just to make sure she's not for him. For a week, he accelerates courtship: asks to meet her parents, introduces her to his best (and only) friend Allison, and takes her to a party where a hound he knows will try to seduce her. What if she passes all his tests? Can Owen still find a way to divorce his life and get out of L.A.?