Nick Smith, a talented architect employed by an unappreciative scrooge but contemplating a firm of his own with colleague Joe Yablonski, suffers pointless attempts by his mother to match him up. However, after he tosses a coin in a legendary magical love fountain at the same time as Natalie Russo, the two proceed to dream of each other as lovers, longing to meet for real but doubting if the dream partner even exists. She runs her mother's ailing Italian restaurant, which recovers thanks to flirtatious Italian chef Mario, who has an unrequited crush on Natalie. Nick and Natalie each find the other's trail, but they have pressing professional priorities as the magical time window is running out.