Gerald Stevens, Inc.

                            Non-Plan Option Agreement


Name of Optionee:                  Robert L. Johnson

Date of Grant:                      October 15, 1999

Number of Option Shares:                       2,500

Exercise Price per Share:                   $10.4375


         This Option is granted on the above date (the "Date of Grant") by
Gerald Stevens, Inc. (the "Company") to the person named above (the "Optionee"),
upon the following terms and conditions:

         1.       Grant of Option. The Company grants to the Optionee an option
                  to purchase, on the terms and conditions stated herein, the
                  number of shares specified above (the "Option Shares") of the
                  Company's common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the "Common
                  Stock"), at the exercise price per share specified above (the
                  "Exercise Price").

         2.       Period of Option and Right to Exercise. This Option shall
                  become exercisable as to 25% of the total number of Option
                  Shares on the first anniversary of the Date of Grant. This
                  Option shall become exercisable as to an additional 25% of the
                  total number of Option Shares on each subsequent anniversary
                  of the Date of Grant. Once the right to purchase shares has
                  accrued, such shares may thereafter be purchased at any time,
                  or in part from time to time, until the termination date of
                  this Option. Subject to the foregoing, and subject to
                  subsections (a), (b) and (c) of this Section 2 which provide
                  for earlier termination of the Option, the Option shall
                  terminate upon the expiration of ten (10) years from the Date
                  of Grant (the "Expiration Date"). In no event shall this
                  Option be exercised after the Expiration Date. If the Optionee
                  ceases to be a Director of the Company, the Option shall vest
                  and terminate as follows:

                  (a)      Removal for Cause. If the Optionee is removed from
                           office for cause, all Options granted hereunder shall
                           immediately cease vesting and shall immediately
                           terminate.

                  (b)      Death or Disability. If during the Optionee's service
                           as a director the Optionee dies or is no longer able
                           to serve as a director due to disability, the Option
                           (whether or not exercisable immediately prior to the
                           Optionee's death



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                           or disability) shall become immediately exercisable
                           in full and may be exercised at any time prior to the
                           Expiration Date or within one (1) year after the date
                           of death or disability, whichever first occurs.
                           Whether a director's service is terminated due to
                           disability shall be determined at the sole discretion
                           of the board of directors.

                           If the Optionee dies after ceasing to be a director
                           and during a period when the Option or any part
                           thereof is exercisable, then that part of the Option
                           which was exercisable by the Optionee immediately
                           prior to the Optionee's death may be exercised at any
                           time prior to the Expiration Date, or within one (1)
                           year after the date of death, whichever first occurs.

                  (c)      Cessation of Directorship for Other Reasons. If the
                           Optionee ceases to be a Director of the Company for
                           any reason other than removal for cause, death, or
                           disability, the Option shall immediately cease
                           vesting and any part thereof which was exercisable by
                           the Optionee immediately prior to ceasing to be a
                           Director may be exercised at any time prior to the
                           Expiration Date or within three (3) months after the
                           date the Optionee ceases to be a Director, whichever
                           first occurs.

         3.       Exercise. To the extent this Option is exercisable, it may be
                  exercised by the Optionee or the legal representative of the
                  Optionee or the legal representative of the Optionee's estate
                  or the permitted transferee of the Optionee. Once this Option
                  becomes exercisable, it may thereafter be exercised, wholly or
                  in part, at any time prior to the Expiration Date (or such
                  earlier date as specified herein).

         4.       Acceleration. Upon the occurrence of any of the following
                  events prior to the Expiration Date, this Option shall become
                  immediately and fully exercisable:

                  (a)      a change of control of the Company.

                  For the purposes of the Option Agreement, a "Change of
Control" shall mean:

                           (i)      the acquisition by any person, other than
                                    New River Capital Partners L.P. or its
                                    affiliates, of voting shares of the Company,
                                    if, as a result of the acquisition, such
                                    person, or any "group" as defined in Section
                                    13(d)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act of
                                    1934, of which such person is a part, owns
                                    at least 20% of the outstanding voting
                                    shares of the Company; or

                           (ii)     a change in the composition of the board of
                                    directors of the Company such that within
                                    any period of two consecutive years, persons
                                    who (1) at the beginning of such period
                                    constitute the board or (2) become


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                                    directors after the beginning of such period
                                    and whose election, or nomination for
                                    election by the stockholders of the Company,
                                    was approved by a vote of at least
                                    two-thirds of the persons who were either
                                    directors at the beginning of such period or
                                    whose subsequent election or nomination was
                                    previously approved in accordance with this
                                    clause (2), cease to constitute at least a
                                    majority of the board; or

                  (b)      a merger or consolidation with another corporation or
                           entity, and the Company is not the surviving
                           corporation; or

                  (c)      a sale by the Company of all of substantially all of
                           the assets of the Company; or

                  (d)      the dissolution or liquidation of the Company.

         5.       Payment for Shares. Payment for shares purchased upon exercise
                  of this Option shall be made in full at the time of exercise.
                  Payment of the Exercise Price shall be made in cash, or by
                  delivering Common Stock having a fair market value at least
                  equal to the Exercise Price, or a combination of Common Stock
                  and cash. The fair market value of a share of Common Stock on
                  any date of reference shall mean the "Closing Price" (as
                  defined below) of the Common Stock on the business day
                  immediately preceding such date, unless the board of directors
                  or an appropriate committee thereof in its sole discretion
                  shall determine otherwise. For the purpose of determining fair
                  market value, the "Closing Price" of a share of Common Stock
                  on any business day shall be (i) if the Common Stock is listed
                  or admitted for trading on any United States national
                  securities exchange, or if actual transactions are otherwise
                  reported on a consolidated transaction reporting system, the
                  last reported per share sale price of the Common Stock on such
                  exchange or reporting system, as reported in any newspaper of
                  general circulation, (ii) if the Common Stock is quoted on the
                  National Association of Securities Dealers Automated
                  Quotations System ("NASDAQ"), or any similar system of
                  automated dissemination of quotations of securities prices in
                  common use, the last reported per share sale price of the
                  Common Stock on such system or, if sales prices are not
                  reported, the mean between the closing high bid and low asked
                  quotations for such day of the Common Stock on such system, as
                  reported in any newspaper of general circulation or (iii) if
                  neither clause (i) or (ii) is applicable, the mean between the
                  high bid and low asked quotations for the Common Stock as
                  reported by the National Quotation Bureau, Incorporated if at
                  least two securities dealers have inserted both bid and asked
                  quotations for the Common Stock on at least five of the ten
                  preceding days. If neither (i) , (ii) or (iii) above is
                  applicable, then fair market value shall be determined in good
                  faith by the board or directors or an appropriate committee
                  thereof, and the board or such committee may determine such
                  fair market value as of any date that is not more than one
                  year prior to the date for which such determination is being
                  made.


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                  Payment in shares of Common Stock shall be made by delivering
                  to the Company certificates, duly endorsed for transfer,
                  representing shares of Common Stock having an aggregate fair
                  market value (determined as aforesaid) on the date of exercise
                  equal to that portion of the Exercise Price which is to be
                  paid to the Company in Common Stock. Whenever payment of the
                  Option Price would require delivery of a fractional share, the
                  Optionee shall deliver the next lower whole number of shares
                  of Common Stock, and a cash payment shall be made by the
                  Optionee for the balance of the Exercise Price.

         6.       Method of Exercise. This Option may be exercised only by
                  written notice given to the Company, which specifies the
                  number of Option Shares which the holder of the Option elects
                  to purchase, the number of Option Shares which the holder is
                  paying for in cash and the number of Option Shares which the
                  holder is paying for in shares of Common Stock of the Company.
                  Such written notice shall be accompanied by a check payable to
                  the order of the Company for the cash portion of the purchase
                  price and, if applicable, by the delivery of certificates
                  representing shares of Common Stock of the Company duly
                  endorsed and otherwise in proper form for transfer to the
                  Company of such number of shares of Common Stock as are
                  required to equal the fair market value of the Option Shares
                  being paid for in stock. Upon each exercise of this Option,
                  the Company, as promptly as practicable, will mail or deliver
                  to the person exercising this Option a certificate or
                  certificates representing the shares then purchased.

         7.       Transferability. Unless otherwise permitted by the board of
                  directors, this Option is not assignable or transferable other
                  than by will, the laws of descent and distribution, or the
                  terms of a qualified domestic relations order, as defined in
                  the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 as amended, or Title I of
                  the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, or the rules
                  thereunder. During the Optionee's lifetime, this Option may be
                  exercised only by the Optionee or his or her guardian or other
                  legal representative, or the permitted transferee of the
                  Optionee.

         8.       Provision for Taxes. It shall be a condition to the Company's
                  obligation to issue or reissue shares of Common Stock upon
                  exercise of this Option that the Optionee pay, or make
                  provision satisfactory to the Company for payment of, any
                  federal or state income or other taxes which the Company is
                  obligated to withhold or collect with respect to the issuance
                  or reissuance of such shares.

         9.       Listing And Registration. The Company, in its discretion, may
                  postpone the issuance and delivery of shares, upon exercise of
                  this Option, until completion of such stock exchange listing,
                  or registration, or other qualification of such shares under
                  any federal or state law, rule, or regulation, as the Company
                  may consider appropriate. The Company may require any person
                  exercising this Option to make such representations and to
                  furnish such information as the Company may consider


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                  appropriate in connection with the issuance of the shares in
                  compliance with applicable law.

         10.      Adjustment. In the event the outstanding shares of Common
                  Stock of the Company are increased or decreased or changed
                  into or exchanged for a different number or kind of shares or
                  other securities of the Company or another corporation,
                  through reorganization, merger, consolidation, liquidations,
                  recapitalization, reclassification, stock split-up,
                  combination of shares, or dividend payable in stock of the
                  class of shares which is subject to this Option, appropriate
                  adjustment in the number and kind of shares as to which this
                  Option or portion thereof then unexercised shall be
                  exercisable, and in the Exercise Price, shall be made such
                  that the Optionee's proportionate interest under this Option
                  shall be maintained.

         11.      Notices. Any notice hereunder by the holder of this Option
                  shall be given to the Company in writing and such notice and
                  any payment hereunder shall be deemed duly given or made only
                  upon receipt thereof at the Company's principal office in Fort
                  Lauderdale, Florida, or at such other place as the Company may
                  designate by written notice to the holder of this Option. Any
                  notice or other communication hereunder to the holder of this
                  Option shall be in writing and shall be deemed duly given if
                  mailed or delivered to the holder at such address as he or she
                  may have on file with the Company.

         12.      Stockholder Rights. The holder of this Option shall have no
                  rights as a stockholder with respect to any shares covered by
                  this Option until the holder of this Option becomes a
                  stockholder of record with respect to such shares.

         13.      Governing Law. This Option shall be governed by, construed and
                  enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the state of
                  incorporation of the Company, and, where applicable, the
                  federal laws of the United States.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Option to be executed
in duplicate.



Accepted:                                       Gerald Stevens, Inc.

__________________________                      By:__________________________
Name:_____________________                      Name:________________________






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