When first they meet， Mireille and Benjamin fall into a puddle。 The circumstances are hardly ideal。 Yet neither can stop thinking of the encounter， and what it means for each of them。 Mireille lives a relatively safe existence as a gardener at a popular teahouse， suspicious of romantic attraction。 They exist as both man and woman， content in their skin。 However， not everyone accepts such fluidity nor modernism。 Benjamin manages his family’s successful publishing house， believing love is merely a fiction。 The two agree to an unlikely arrangement amidst the vibrance and prejudice of 1820 Paris。 Soon， they form a fierce bond， one that may jeopardize both of their familiar lives。