Golden sunlight beamed into her shop through the bay window and across the screen of her laptop. Alice frowned and shifted on her chair until she blocked the glare with her body. Dissertation work was slow-going today; she could feel the headache starting to build behind her eyes and Alice pushed her glasses out of the way to pinch at the bridge of her nose. Maybe she needed a break; maybe she needed to get out of the store for a bit. She hadn't had any customers since she opened this morning, and if they came, Mattie - her assistant and close friend - was due to arrive at any moment from university.

Sticking her glasses up on top of her head, Alice rubbed her face in exhaustion. She was nearly there - so close to being finished with a part of her dissertation that she could taste it - but the right words eluded her today. Leaning back in her chair, Alice stuffed her hands in the pockets of her cardigan and froze when she felt the stiff card stock of Matthew Lawson's note brush against her fingers. Alice pulled the note from her pocket and unfolded the small card.

'To "Almost Doctor" Harvey, I hope this birthday was less troublesome than usual; your next batch of flowers are on me as a belated gift - Matthew Lawson'

A small smile crossed her face and she folded it back up; it had been a better birthday than those in the past, and the note along with the flowers left her with a warm feeling in her chest for the next week. Tapping it against her chin, Alice nodded to herself. She needed a break, and he did say the next flowers were on him… it was only fair Alice go and see him.

She left a note for Mattie ('Gone on break, if you get here before I come back, you can open the store back up for customers - A'), and closed her laptop after saving her work; Alice flipped the sign from open to closed, scratched Benedick behind his ears as she passed him dozing in the sun on the counter (Beatrice was on the windowsill, watching the world with a bored flick of her bushy black tail), and slipped out the front of Stardance Books. Making her way through Ballarat, she stepped up to the door of The Green Room - her hand pausing on the doorknob as she took a deep breath to steady the flutter of nerves in her stomach.

The bell above the door rang out pleasantly and made her smile. The shop was nearly empty, only a handful of customers perused the bountiful floral arrays, and Alice caught a glance of a young man with curly black hair in a green apron on the floor before the call of her name brought her attention to the register.

"Alice!" Jean waved with a smile from behind the counter and Alice waved back. "Come back already, have we?"

Alice smiled, "I have. I needed a break from my dissertation and, well, I was hoping to catch Matthew?"

The smile on Jean's face widened and she gestured to the door leading further into the shop. "He's out back, let me get him for you."

Her cheeks grew warm and she held up her hands in protest, "Oh, no, if he's busy I don't want to take him away from work."

"We're experiencing a slow day, Alice, it's alright. I suspect Matthew would enjoy a break too." Jean waved away Alice's protests with a warm, maternal smile that had Alice relenting. She watched Jean quickly walk over to the open doorway that led to the back room and poke her head inside.

When Jean returned with another smile, Alice smiled back. It widened at the sight of Matthew Lawson in the doorway. Alice walked over to the empty end of the counter where they could have a tiny bit of privacy - the nerves returning in her stomach as she drew closer.

"I wasn't expecting to see you so soon," Matthew smiled as she approached.

"That makes two of us," Alice smiled back, her cheeks growing warm at Matthew's soft laugh. "I, um, I needed a break from working on my dissertation and it's a slow day at the bookshop. I also came to cash in this?" She pulled out the folded note from her pocket, biting on her lower lip when she saw Matthew blush.

He rubbed the back of his neck and cleared his throat, "I see."

Her fingers reached up out of habit to tug on the end of her braid, and faltered when they met nothing.

That's right, I put it up today, she thought, and put the note back in her pocket.

"Thank you… for the note, Matthew. It… you made my birthday a better one."

"Good," a soft smile crossed his face. "That's what I hoped it would do."

"The peonies are lovely," Alice cleared her throat - trying to ignore the flutter in her stomach at Matthew's smile.

"Would you like those again?"

She shook her head, "I'd like something different, for my store… maybe… maybe something yellow? And uh, nothing that is toxic to cats."

His soft smile widened, "I know just the thing. I'll be back in a tic with your flowers, Dr. Harvey."

"Almost," she corrected. "And I thought I said you could call me Alice."

Matthew just laughed as he ducked back into the other room. Alice leaned against the counter, eyes closed as she breathed in the heady scents of the different flowers intermingling in the shop. It was a refreshing difference to the sharp, almost musty smell of her books that Alice was used to in her own shop, but she welcomed the break in monotony. She could hear Matthew move around in the other room - the odd dance of his steps and cane tapping out a rhythm that she found soothing before long.

Matthew pulled down a vase - one of their simple, yet elegant ones - and paced back and forth in front of the flowers he had at hand as he mulled over his choices (and the woman waiting for them in the other room).

She wanted yellow flowers, and yellow flowers he would give her, but what kind to give her? Roses would probably be too forward, and daisies not forward enough - though she did seem the type to enjoy daisies more than roses.

"Something simple, but not too simple…" he muttered. "Much simpler than the woman asking for them."

Matthew hadn't felt like this in awhile. Every time he thought of Dr. Harve- Alice, his stomach fluttered and he could feel his cheeks warm. He was nervous around her, more a bumbling idiot than a confident florist. Judging by the pink cheeks and bashful smiles, Matthew mused he had the same effect on Alice, and that just made his heart thud faster.

"Flowers, Matthew, focus on the flowers."

Spotting yellow tulips, he smiled and pulled them down. Arranging them in the vase with a few ornamental plants, Matthew soon had a simple yet elegant arrangement for Alice. He tied a blue ribbon - royal blue this time - around the vase and pulled out a card. Jotting a quick message down, Matthew tucked it among the blooms and carried it out to the waiting "almost doctor".

Alice looked up from her phone (and an amusing conversation with Mattie) when Matthew set down a vase on the counter with a dull thunk.

"Oh, Matthew…" she gasped when she saw the arrangement. "This is gorgeous."

"Ah, it's nothing," he shrugged with a shy smile.

"No, this is art," Alice insisted. "It's beautiful."

"Like you."

She felt her cheeks warm at the same time his turned bright red. Biting her lower lip, Alice smiled when Matthew rubbed his neck and cleared his throat.

"Happy late birthday, Alice."

"Thank you, Matthew."

The flush on her cheeks returned when their hands brushed as he handed her the vase. Alice ducked her head with a smile and cradled it in her arms.

"Enjoy the flowers and don't hesitate to come back."

"For the flowers or for the company?" she asked - her heart pounding in her chest.

Matthew laughed softly at her bold question, "Both, hopefully."

"I might," Alice smiled. "If you ever need a book, you could always drop by my store… Jean and Lucien know which one."

"I might," he smiled back. "I've a lot of reading to catch up on."

Clutching the vase securely in her arms, Alice bit her lower lip again, "I'll, uh… I'll see you around, I guess."

Matthew nodded, "Yeah, have a good rest of the day, Alice."

She backed away from the counter - and nearly into Jean. Blushing further, Alice laughed a quick apology and exited the shop before she caused anymore traffic jams. Walking quickly back to her own store, Alice beamed in the summer sunlight - giddy laughter bubbling up inside of her as she hummed to herself.

Mattie had opened back up by the time Alice returned to Stardance Books, and was happily helping a customer as Alice set the vase down on the counter near the register. She caught the curious look Mattie sent her way, but Alice ignored it. Benedick jumped up onto the counter and Alice obliged his faint grumbling meow for attention. Scratching him behind his ears, she grinned at his loud purrs.

"Where did you wander off to?" Mattie asked once the customer left.

"Oh… nowhere in particular," she shrugged.

"Uh-huh," her assistant (and the closest thing she had to a best friend) replied sarcastically. "Nowhere in particular that gave you flowers - professionally arranged flowers, I might add."

"It's just flowers, Mattie."

"Then why are you blushing?"

"You're a brat, you know that?" Alice deflected as she turned the vase on the counter. Spotting a small white card - exactly the same as the previous card from Matthew - Alice felt her face grow warmer as she plucked it from the arrangement. Unfolding it away from Mattie's prying eyes (she acted more like an annoying younger sister than her assistant most of the time, but Alice loved it), she hid a smile behind her hand when she saw the unmistakable scrawl of Matthew Lawson on the card stock.

A series of numbers with a single word underneath it 'Coffee? - Matthew'

'Oh, that man,' Alice blushed further.

"Oooooh, you've got an admirer!"

"Mattie, please," she scoffed even as Mattie hugged her. "It's just flowers."

"Uh-huh, sure. I'll leave you to your little love note, Alice, and go stock the new arrivals from the back." With a friendly kiss on the cheek, Mattie left the register.

"You're a brat!" Alice called after her even as she couldn't help the smile that stayed on her face. Tapping Matthew's newest note against her mouth, Alice wondered how to answer him. With a nod, she pulled out her phone and carefully entered his number into a new text message.

'Coffee sounds wonderful, know any good places? - Alice,' she typed out and hit send.

It wasn't long before her phone dinged and she laughed softly at his reply.

'I know the perfect place so long as you're alright with getting up early. How about this Saturday, 9am? I'll send you the address.'

'9am's fine, I'll meet you there.'

'It's a date,' he replied (with an accompanying smile emoji) and she laughed as he forwarded an address.

Alice hadn't felt this… giddy in a long time. She looked forward to this Saturday, and to getting to know Matthew some more outside of his shop. Entering his name into her contacts, Alice grinned as she added a little flower bouquet emoji next to his name.

"Mattie!"

"Yes?"

Alice bit back a sigh, knowing that she might regret asking her next question, but Mattie was the only one who could help her. "I need your help picking out what to wear to a date on Saturday, think you have time in your busy social calendar?"

She laughed at Mattie's answering squeal of delight.

it's been forever since I've updated this one (whoops!), but I think I'm finally unstuck on where to take this lol. FYI, the main four (Alice, Matthew, Lucien, Jean) are about ten years younger than their show counterparts! So Matthew and Lucien are in their forties, Alice and Jean are roughly in their thirties. Mattie, Rose, and Charlie are all the same as the show (in their twenties), with the Beazley boys in their twenties as well and Li Blake is finishing up school, so she's in her late teens. Just a bit of info for later chapters! - Dee