[chapter one]

Caitlin pushed the lock of hair behind her ear as she bent over the reference desk to read the latest issue of "American Libraries". She occasionally glanced up from the article on purchase plans to survey the area surrounding the reference desk, or to answer a question from a patron.

"Quiet day today?" Caitlin's co-worker, Jessica, asked as she walked behind the desk with a grin.

"Pretty quiet...I've had a few questions, but nothing earth-shattering. What are you up to?" Caitlin replied, and she stowed the magazine under the desk.

"Not much...I'm getting ready to go to lunch, and wanted to make sure you didn't need a break before I went. I shouldn't be gone more than an hour." Jessica replied.

"Nope, I think I'm good, but thanks. I still have a bunch of stuff to read from this week's info file, so I should be busy for a while." Caitlin replied with a smile. "Get out there and enjoy that weatherI still can't get used to warm temperatures and sunshine in November!"

Jessica grinned. "You will...it's the whole reason any of us are in Florida in the first place! I'll see you after lunch." Jessica waved and turned to the front doors.

Caitlin smiled, and reminded herself for the millionth time that she was in sunny Orlando, working at a library she loves, and helping people every day. Things were really falling into place for her. After a few seconds of staring outside at the beautiful sunshine, Caitlin resumed her readings through the info file all reference librarians were required to read each weekmostly articles on recent news events, any law changes, new purchase plans, and the like. All the information kept the reference librarians abreast of what was going on in the world, and what patrons would be most likely to ask questions about.

A few minutes later, Caitlin was completely absorbed in an article about Congressional hearings when she heard someone approach the reference desk. She looked up to see a young man about her age walking timidly to the desk, wearing sunglasses and being followed by a very burly black man.

Caitlin placed the info file under the desk and looked up with a bright smile. "Hi there, can I help you?"

"Um. Yeah. I mean, I hope so. I mean..." the young man cleared his throat. "I'm looking for some information."

"Ok, we are we looking for?" Caitlin asked.

"I need some information. On diabetes." He replied.

"Ok, what sort of information are you looking for? Do you need detailed medical information, or just some general knowledge?" Caitlin asked with a gentle smile.

"Um, I'm not sure. My little brother just found out he's diabetic, and I want to learn about it." The young man answered, removing his sunglasses.

Caitlin looked up from the computer where she was typing in search information, and looked directly into the most beautiful blue eyes she'd ever seen. She smiled again, and he smiled in return. "Ok, I'm guessing you are looking for mostly general knowledge information--you probably don't need all the medical terminology and detailed medical history. I have a couple of books that detail the different types of diabetes, and the treatments for each. It also walks through what exactly diabetes is, and how it affects people's bodies. Does that sound about right?" Caitlin asked.

"Perfect." He replied.

Caitlin came from behind the desk and started walking towards the medical reference section of the library. She pulled several books from the shelves and handed them to the young man. "Why don't you start by thumbing through these and see if they detail what you need. While you do that, I'll hop on the internet and find a couple of good reference sites for you. Does that work?" Caitlin asked.

"Sounds great. Thanks for your help." He smiled and replied.

"Just come back up the desk when you are done, and I'll have that information for you." Caitlin said as she turned to the bodyguard-looking man who had been following them. "What about you? Do you have anything you need to find, or anything I can help with?" she asked with a kind smile.

"Uh. Um. Do you have Sports Illustrated?" He asked in a quiet voice.

"We sure do...do you want the American or European version?' Caitlin asked in reply.

"There's a European version?"

"Yep--mostly soccer and rugby, but the pictures are spectacular. Personally, I prefer the American version thoughthe football coverage is tons better." She smiled. "It's right around the corner in the magazine aisle. They are shelved in alphabetical order, so Sports Illustrated will be about three-quarters of the way down." Caitlin pointed him the general direction of the magazine aisle.

"Thanks. C, you going to be alright for a few minutes?" The man asked his young charge.

"You bet. Go ahead Lonnie...I'll catch up with you in a few minutes." He replied with a grin.

"You got it." Lonnie replied as he lumbered off towards the magazines. "You like football?" The young man asked Caitlin skeptically, with a slightly disbelieving grin.

"Of course, despite the fact my Packers have been having a dismal year due to Dorsey's never-ending injury list. At least last week Favre started to play like a real quarterback, and Freeman's receiving just gets better and better. What about you? Also a football fan?" She asked with a twinkle in her eye.

"Yeah, I love football. And I'm very impressed--most girls I meet who say they like football can't name a single player, or only watch it for the tight uniforms." He said with a teasing grin.

"I guess you're meeting the wrong girls then." Caitlin said with a flirty grin. "Just let me know if those books work for you, and I'll find those websites for you."

His gaze followed her back the desk, where she immediately logged on the computer and began typing. He smiled when he saw her intense look of concentration as she surfed through websites trying to find information for him.

She was unlike most girls he was attracted to. From the way she knew exactly the information he needed, and where to find it, he knew she must have a brainsomething that had been sorely lacking in the girls he'd been close to in the last few years. She also didn't fit the typical physical attributes most of his female companions had. She stood just a few inches shorter than he, with short brown hair and sparkling green eyes. Her smile was beautiful, and she had cheeks with a rosy glow that seemed permanent. Even though she was wearing a long black dress with a shirt casually thrown over it, her voluptuous figure was unmistakablea far cry from the fashion models (walking corpses, he thought to himself) he saw most girls model themselves after these days. She looked like a woman, curves and all. And he found that very appealing.

After several minutes of looking through the books she had pulled, he settled on two that seemed to suit his needs and walked back to the desk. She looked up and smiled when she saw him approach.

"Hey there. Did those books work for you?" She asked.

"Yeah, these are exactly what I needed. Thanks." He replied.

"No problem. I also tracked down the websites for the American Medical Association, which has a whole section devoted to diabetes research. I also found the American Diabetes Association homepage, which has tons of information. I also looked up a couple of online support groups and some general reference pages for you. I printed out all the pertinent information to get you started." She handed him a sizeable stack of paper with all kinds of useful information on them. "Are you familiar with using the internet?" She asked.

"A little. But I'm still not very comfortable with surfing around." He responded.

"You should sign up for one of our introductory courses on internet usage--it's a great class!" Caitlin suggested.

"I would, but I don't really have much free time, and I can't really go out" He stopped. "Well, I just don't have the time."

"Understandable. If you ever find the time, you should consider it." Caitlin replied with an understanding smile. "Did you find everything you needed, or is there something else I can help you with?"

"Actually, there is something else. I'm just looking for some good books to readand so are a couple of friends of mine. I don't get much chance to read, but whenever I can, I try to have a few books on hand. Can you suggest some good reads?" He asked timidly.

"Sure! What sort of things do you normally like to read? Fiction or nonfiction?" She asked enthusiastically.

"Uh, fiction. I like just about anythingusually mysteries or just general drama, romance stuff. But nothing too girly." He said.

Caitlin laughed. "Ok, nothing too girly." She agreed. "Let's see.John Grisham just put out a new book, which falls into the mystery genre. Michael Crichton has a great book called "A Case Of Need" which is a good medical mystery. Scott Turow is always good, or James Clavell." She looked over to gauge his reaction, then decided to take the plunge. "And, actually, Nicholas Sparks just put out a new book. He's your favorite author, right?" She asked him directly.

His jaw dropped a little as he looked over at her. "How...how...you know who I am, don't you?" He asked, his voice dropping slightly.

"Doesn't everyone?" She asked with a grin. "Actually, I recognized you when you came in, I just didn't want you to feel uncomfortable." Caitlin said gently. "JC." She added as an afterthought.

JC grinned broadly as he looked at her. "Well, you had me fooled!" He extended his hand to her. "I'm JC Chasez. And you are?"

Caitlin grasped his hand warmly and replied, "Caitlin Peck, nice to meet you."

"Well, I wouldn't have expected a librarian to know who the members of *Nsync were, much less what our favorite authors are!" JC said.

"Most people expect librarians to wear buns in their hair and bifocals, and to go around shh-ing people all the time. Oh, and to all be named Marian." She added with a grin. "Librarians have changed a bit in the last decade or two." She said with obvious pride.

JC looked at her admiringly. "Obviously!"

"For example, we're big fans of surfing the internet, and you guys are on every other page!" Caitlin replied, in answer to his original remark.

"I know. It amazes me every time one of the guys does a search for us--there are tons of pages! We really have an amazing fan base." JC said, almost shyly. "So, are you from Orlando originally? You don't sound like a Floridian." He asked.

Caitlin laughed again. "No, I'm definitely not from Florida! I actually grew up in Michigan, and went to graduate school there."

"Graduate school? In what?" JC asked curiously.

"Library Science. You have a get a Master's Degree before they'll let you do this, you know." She grinned to let him know she was teasing. "I just graduated a few months ago, and relocated to Orlando to take this job."

"How do you like the city so far?" He asked.

"Actually, I really haven't done much exploring. Between moving my entire life down here, settling in with this job and just trying to find a good grocery store, I haven't done much exploring." Caitlin replied, a little curious as to why he was taking such an interest in her.

"I know how that goes. When I moved down here a few years ago, I was totally turned around for weeks. Hell, I still don't know half the places in this town!" He said with a laugh.

"Oh, that's comforting!" She said with a laugh.

"Seriously, if you'd like, I'd love to show you around O-Town. It's a cool place to live." JC said kindly.

Caitlin looked at him quizzically. "You want to take time out of your undoubtedly heinous schedule to show a lost librarian around town? What on earth for?"

"So I can argue with you about why the Redskins defense is far and away better than Green Bay's." JC answered, with a twinkle in his eye. "Besides, this is actually a quiet time for me and the guys. Other than the occasional appearance, we're spending all our time here in Orlando getting things started for the new album. It would be nice to see a new face every once in a while, rather than Johnny and the guys all the time." JC said seriously.

Caitlin gave him a puzzled stare for a few moments, before her expression softened. "Ok, if you're serious, I'd love that." She said with a smile.

"Great! Um, why don't you give me your phone number, and I'll give you a call in a couple of days? We are actually going to be in Tampa for the next day and half, but we should be back by the end of the week." JC asked shyly.

As Caitlin scribbled her number on a scrap sheet of paper, JC went to the circulation desk and checked out his books. When he returned a few minutes later, Caitlin was helping another patron find some information on the internet. He stood for a few minutes listening to her explain the fundamentals with patience and care that he couldn't imagine having himself. Her voice had a soft lilt to it, almost as though she was from another country, and she always seemed to be on the edge of smiling or laughing. His reverie was broken a few moments later by the appearance of Lonnie.

"Hey C, you ready to go?" Lonnie asked.

"Yeah, let me just..." JC walked over to the reference desk and grabbed Caitlin's number off the pad where she had written it. After a brief pause, he said, "Ok, let's get out of here." With a last long look at Caitlin's back, he and Lonnie walked out of the library and into the van waiting right out front.

A few minutes later, Caitlin wrapped up her reference interview, and turned around to see JC nowhere in sight. Sighing deeply, she slowly walked back to the reference desk. "So much for finding a new friend in Orlando. He was probably just being nice so I would..." Caitlin's thoughts trailed off as she caught sight of the notepad where she had written her phone number. Her number was gone, and in its place was a hastily written note.

"Marian--I didn't want to disturb you, but I'll call you later this week. Go Redskins! --JC"

With a smile, she tucked the note into her shoulder bag as another patron walked up to the reference desk.

"Hi, can I help you?"

chapter two