Nick Smith [Mike Vogel] and Natalie Russo [Katharine McPhee] are single, living in the same city. On opposite sides of a fountain, they are both encouraged to make a wish with a penny. Their coins touch underwater, and they both feel odd.
Natalie’s best friend Sharla pushes her to make the restaurant she inherited from her mother her own. She brings Mario, a hot-headed Italian chef, to revamp the recipes. He is initially uncompromising, so Natalie fears he’ll intimidate her regulars.
Nick’s mom Charlotte Smith has been pushing him to get over Jessa, his cheating ex. She regularly sets him up on dates, and the latest is Lori Beth Wacker, someone he dated when he was twelve. Charlotte gets them tickets to a comedy performance, while at work Nick—though a trained architect—is only a draftsman, and quietly submits his own proposal for the Green Bridge Award.
Natalie and Nick dream together nightly: they meet at the Hayward Fountain, introduce themselves, and feel an instant chemistry, yet whenever they touch they awaken in their own beds. The next day, Natalie tells Sharla about the real-feeling dream. Sharla’s cousin is interested, but Natalie isn’t. Sharla is drawn to Mario, and Natalie isn’t. He reminds her that their mothers had been friends in Italy, and he passes on his mother’s condolences.
Nick’s date with Lori Beth goes badly—she’s overly eager, sending hourly reminders, photos of potential outfits, and cc’ing his mother. She reminisces about moments they shared 15 years ago, leaving Nick clearly uninterested in seeing her again.
Again, Natalie and Nick dream together, this time on a rooftop. She wants to take risks and is tired of playing it safe. He tells her about the bridge he designed for the contest, and she shares an amaretto cookie. Balanced on the roof’s edge, they lean in for a kiss but wake again on the floor.
Natalie tells Sharla about the second dream, that she can’t stop thinking about him and is anxious to sleep again to see him. In their third dream they stroll all night, encouraging each other’s careers. Both admit they are starting to have real feelings for one another.
Before Nick can fall asleep the next night, Jessa calls him to kill a rodent and seduces him, so Natalie doesn’t find him. Upset, she decides to avoid sleeping the following night and goes dancing with Mario. He kisses her at the end and says their moms always thought they would be together. When Nick goes to find her, he’s alone.
Nick dines at Natalie’s restaurant, but they don’t see each other. Finding two little sketches on the floor—one of his bridge and one of the Hayward Fountain—she goes to the fountain. Natalie finds the florist she’d met there five days ago and learns, according to fountain mythology, they have exactly seven days to turn their dreams into a reality. When asked if it would work for her, the florist suggests she find a real man and forget the legend.
That night, Natalie meets Nick in their dreams and tells him she can’t meet him again as he’s obviously not real. She vows not to sleep the next night, fearing a heartbreak.
At Nick’s parents’ 40th anniversary, his dad [Mike Smith] mentions the Hayward fountain legend, and his mother [Charlotte Smith] tells him to take a leap of faith. Nick finally quits his job at the architecture firm. At the restaurant, seeing a spark between Sharla and Mario, Natalie suddenly realizes she must find Nick, though an important critic is there. He also decides he must find her, so he leaves the award ceremony.
Nick arrives at the fountain first, accidentally dropping the invite. Natalie misses him but finds it and heads to the ceremony. He visits every Italian restaurant in town in search of her. He finds the Russos, but Sharla doesn’t know where Natalie is. They go to the fountain, find each other, and share a kiss.
The next day, Natalie introduces Nick to the florist.
