Whether this comes across as stalking or courting depends on how weird or creepy you come across. Basically, once you leave university, your ability to spend a lot of time with people you're allowed to date kind of dries up, because people don't want to be counted at work.
I'm sorry, but the early-mid steps what I described is completely how you make friends and close friends as well. If someone is in a social context and take offense with people trying to be friends, they are the problem.
