"Oh my goodness, is that a pimple?" Madeline exclaimed.

Paige froze, mouth wide open and with her blueberry muffin in mid-air. "You have got to be kidding me," she said slowly. "Where is it?" she asked, wiping her mouth with a serviette, and patting around her face.

"There," Madeline said, pointing at her friend's left cheek. "Don't worry, I'll touch it." She leaned forward and touched the edge of her lip. "Oh, sorry it was just a crumb."

Paige glared at her friend for raising a false alarm.

"You had to see your face, PG," Madeline cried, clutching her stomach.

"Ha, ha, ha. Very funny, Mads."

They were sitting face to face at Kaye Café in St. Pancras International train station. It was situated in the heart of Central London, and the footsteps of the people bustling from one place to another thundered on the pavement. The faint sound of a guitarist playing his classical guitar on a bench outside could be heard from their table.

"Remind me why you are here, Mads," Paige huffed. She finished her muffin and sipped her coffee.

"To give your jittery behind moral support before you get swept off your feet by the dashing Mr Rochester?" Madeline responded, wagging her eyebrows and laughing. "Dover is so romantic," she added with an exaggerated swoon.

"I am not jittery," Paige retorted icily. "There is nothing romantic about uprooting plants and taking soil samples in a country town."

"How old is he, PG?"

"Twenty-eight."

"Gosh. That is so hot."

Paige pursed her lips and shook her head playfully.

Madeline bit her chocolate chip cookie with a sly grin on her face. "You know the ones who appear to be prim and proper are the baddest," she whispered. "If he takes you to the red—"

Paige sprung to her feet. "I am not going to be taken to the red room." She pulled on the handle of her small luggage box and it extended with a snap. "You look good by the way."

Madeline dusted her black, skirt suit as she stood up and checked her teeth in her portable mirror. "Thank you, dear. You're not so bad yourself."

Paige wrapped her ash colored, knee length coat firmer around her body. "I know I'm flawless," she said, smoothing her hands down her hips and fluffing her curls. "Have a nice day at work, Mads." They hugged and promised each other a message and a phone call every other hour.

Madeline gave Paige a pointed look and wagged her finger. "If you come back without souvenirs, I'll lock you out."

"I'll call the police if I can't get in," Paige retorted.

They hugged again as both of them had blurry vision and denied that they were about to cry. Their goodbyes were mumbled as they parted ways.

**

Paige sat on a bench at platform twelve. She read a magazine, crossed her legs and glanced at her wristwatch. Unconsciously, she looked left and right at random intervals. She wondered when Mr Rochester would show up. He said they should meet at ten, and it was already nine forty-five.

"Are you looking for me?" someone asked, as they leaned over the bench.

"What the f-, Mr Rochester you scared me," Paige whisper yelled. "Why did you sneak up on me like that?" she asked with her hand on her rapidly beating heart.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to, Paige."

"Yes, you did," she scoffed in disbelief. Her pulse raced as breathed in short puffs, but she was glad to see him.

He smirked. "Fair enough."

He rounded the bench and sat beside Paige. "Our train departs at ten forty," he said. He dipped his hand into his duffle bag, brought out the tickets and wagged them in the air.

Paige took one and thanked him before taking a better look at him. "Wow! You got a haircut didn't you?"

Brian felt a rush of warmth to his cheeks, and he avoided eye contact with her.

"Aww. How cute, you are blushing," she teased. "Oh my goodness, are those jeans you are wearing? Is that a polo shirt? Pigs are probably flying-"

"Why don't you cross check that you have everything you need, instead of teasing me?"

"I already have checked, Mr Rochester."

"Hair products."

Paige chuckled. "First thing a black woman packs."

"Other general, personal care items, change of clothes and so on?"

"Check."

"Lab coat."

"Check."

Brian arched an eyebrow. "Toothbrush?"

"Fiddlesticks!" Paige exclaimed.

His eyes twinkled with amusement. "Don't worry, I have an extra."

Paige mumbled, "Thank you."

A loud announcement interrupted their banter, "Ten forty to Dover Priory. Ten forty to Dover Priory."

"That is us, Paige." He slung his duffle bag over his shoulder and dragged her luggage box by the handle.

Her eyes drifted from his veiny arms to his broad back as she followed him to board the train. She bit her lip and looked away.

Brian kept walking to a quieter carriage, and located their seats. He put their bags in the overhead storage compartment, and sank into his seat.

Paige ran her hand over the soft, velvet seats. She bounced on it gently. "Ooh. Fancy. I can't wait to see the transition from the city to the lush, green countryside," she said as she sat beside him. Grateful they were alone, and he left the window side seat for her.

**

"Paige, we are here," Brian whispered.

"Huh?"

"Paige, wake up. We have reached Dover Priory."

"Fiddlesticks, I fell asleep and missed the view I wanted to see. Why didn't you wake me?" she asked, sitting up straight and stretching like a cat.

"You looked like you needed the rest," Brian replied, trying to ignore the warmth he still felt where she rested her head on his shoulder. He removed their bags from the overhead storage. "Let's go."

Paige fluffed her hair and wiped her face with a handkerchief, before snapping a selfie.

Brian put his hands on his hips and shook his head. "Are you going to 'hash tag' that?"

"Of course," Paige replied nonchalantly as she arched an eyebrow and pouted her lips for the camera. Brian shook his head but smiled at her antics. The doors of the train swished open, and Paige was forced to stop her mini photo shoot. They hurriedly disembarked from the carriage.

Paige took a deep breath of air and sighed. "Wow. The air is so much fresher here," she said as they walked up the steps and stood on the street. Not only the air was fresher, the environment was calm and the breeze blew gently. Emerald green grass and beautiful hills were in the near distance, and the sky overhead was a cloudy, blue.

"Our taxi will be here any minute," Brian said, with his eyes glued to his phone.

"Where are we going?" Paige asked.

"To our hotel to rest, freshen up and grab a bite. Whatever. I have booked two, separate rooms for us already. I am okay with going to the field to take samples today, but if you are tired, we can go tomorrow morning."

"Alright, Mr Rochester."

"Good."

A cute, black car parked in front of them and horned. The driver rolled the window down, and popped his head out. "Brian Rochester?"

"Yep. How are ya?" Brian asked. He open the boot and put their bags inside, not waiting for an answer. He gestured for Paige to board the taxi, and opened the door for her. They sat quietly for the whole fifteen minute drive to the hotel.

**

"Uproot the flowers gently, and try to keep their roots intact," Brian said.

"Alright," Paige replied. She carefully dug around each Hawton flower as instructed and put the petals and the stalks in different containers.

They were in the field, in their lab coats, wearing gloves and armed with their sample kits. Brian set their sample bottles, cotton swab sticks and other essential items down in a padded bag on a nearby rock. It was tedious work, but the fresh air and the light fragrance of flowers was soothing and refreshing.

Brian nodded with approval and watched her carefully. He stepped in to offer more guidance every now and then.

Paige wiped her brow with the back of her gloved hand. She was exhausted, but was happy that she decided to work after they arrived. She preferred to get the work over and done with, and spend the rest of her time sight seeing.

"Are you tired?" Brian asked.

"No."

"Tell me the truth."

"The truth."

Brian laughed. "We have gathered enough now. It is important to gather more than you need-"

"Just in case some of the samples are lost, damaged or not viable?"

"Correct."

Brian got up and stretched his hand out to Paige to help her up too. "Let's go back to the hotel. Freshen up and meet me downstairs in two hours. There is a place that I know you will love to see."