In 1978, Spence Edwards hasn't been on a date in a year, hoping for a Christian girl with good morals. In their annual wager, his best friend bets that if Spence asks Patti Adams, the richest and most beautiful girl in the senior class, on a date, she would refuse him three times. When a teacher partners Patti with Spence in class, he ventures to ask her, and she says 'no.' (Strike One).

Forbidden circumstances place them together, and Spence's stellar reputation takes a nosedive. Angry parents, friends chanting rumors, and being stranded in a snowstorm insert a wedge between him and Patti. His wager must take a back seat while he sorts through a myriad of roadblocks. God seems to have withdrawn, and after someone falsely accuses Spence of the unthinkable, he considers giving up … almost.