The Cover Connection by Deborah Hoffman

It had been an unprecedented time of peace in the Spindrift camp. For the first time since crashing two and a half years ago, there had been no giant incidents in almost a month. The entire group had been lulled into a sense of normalcy. If normal was one long camping trip.

The men had been able to concentrate on diagnosing all that needed repairing on the ship, making an extensive list of the items they would need to find, on their next foray into the giant city.

The women spent their time sprucing up the camp and creating as homey an atmosphere as possible, with what was available. They also spent time creating a series of schedules so all of the work was divided evenly. This included the night watch, food gathering, meal preparation and clean up. Tonight Betty and Barry were responsible for preparing the meal. Valerie and Mark would be responsible for cleaning up. This would include a hike away from the ship to bury any leftovers that might attract insects or animals.

Dinner was spent relating all that had happened during the day and plans for the next. Dan and Steve had taken a trip into the forest to look for food, all was quiet and they were able to gather a good supply of berries, nuts and roots to make a decent meal. Barry and Fitzhugh had gone down to the stream not far away, and managed to come back with a small (by giant standards) fish which provided a nice portion of protein for all. Mark spent his time at camp going over figures trying to see if they were any closer to finding out where they were, and how to get back to where they came from. Betty and Valerie had spent the day repairing clothes that had seen better days.

“Well, it’s time to get this cleaned up” said Steve “I want to make sure Val and Mark are back before it gets dark.“

Dan and Steve along with Betty went into the ship to make a final check of all of their instruments and make sure everything was still alright. Barry had taken Chipper for his nightly walk, and was playing a game of catch with him so he would settle down and sleep for the night. Fitzhugh had gone into the lean-to, which served as the bedroom for the men to do…well, whatever it is Fitzhugh did when no one was looking.

Mark and Valerie were outside in the dining area gathering together all of the dishes from dinner, making a package of the refuse that would need to be taken away from camp. While standing at the buckets of water that served as their sink, they fell into a comfortable conversation. Mark, who was usually very serious, was uncharacteristically humorous tonight. He seemed to be able to find humor in so many of their recent situations. Valerie, at first, did not know how to react. This was a Mark that she rarely saw. She found herself laughing heartily at his jokes. When the dishes were done she turned to him, looking up at him, her eyes glistening from the laughter they'd shared for the past few minutes. As she looked up at him, Mark looked down into her eyes, and could not help himself. He leant down and kissed her. He then lifted his head and looked for her reaction. For what seemed like minutes, Valerie said and did nothing.

When she finally got her voice back she said seductively “That was nice Mr. Wilson, but is that all you’ve got?”

Mark was relieved, she was encouraging him. “Miss Scott, I did not become the CEO of seventeen companies by the age of thirty by putting all of my cards on the table at once.”

He was rewarded by a big smile.

Steve picked that moment to come out of the Spindrift. “You two need to get moving, it will be dark soon, and I want everyone in camp before that.”

Mark went to fetch a shovel while Valerie went to get a radio to take with them. They picked up the dinner scraps and set off, away from the camp.

Twenty minutes later Valerie was sitting on a tree root watching Mark dig a hole to bury their trash. She was babbling on about nothing, and secretly wondering when Mark would make his next move. As he finished, she stood up on the root, and caught her toe an a loose piece of bark. Only Mark’s quick reflexes kept her from landing on her face at his feet. When Valerie started breathing again, she found herself literally nose to nose with Mark, his arms wrapped firmly around her waist, keeping her feet dangling inches off of the ground. For the second time that night, he leaned in and kissed her. However, this was no quick brush of his lips against hers, this was a proper kiss, deepening with each passing moment When he finally lifted his head, Valerie found that he'd lowered her and she was now standing on the ground, though not very steadily. Mark had to grab her shoulders to keep her from toppling over

“Well?” he asked her, his breathing a trifle erratic.

“Congratulations Mr. Wilson, you closed another deal.” was her response This time it was Valerie who wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into another long, passionate kiss.

Meanwhile back at camp, Steve, Dan and Betty were sitting around the table talking. Steve was drinking a very strong cup of what passed for coffee now, a necessary substitute to keep him alert for the four hours of his shift. He suddenly realized Mark and Valerie should have returned sometime ago.

“Betty, go see if you can raise Mark and Valerie on the radio and make sure there is nothing wrong.” Betty chewed a nail, not wanting to interrupt them but unsure what to say to the Captain. She had been looking out of the view port earlier and saw the first kiss. She was pretty sure she knew what was keeping them. However she didn't want to be the one to spill their secret, so she went and did as she was told. “Spindrift to Mark, come in Mark.”

Valerie and Mark were sitting on the ground next to the tree root, trying to get their breath back for the walk, home when the radio squawked. It was Betty’s voice “Spindrift to Mark, come in Mark.”

Mark picked up the radio and answered gruffly, “this is Mark, over”

“Steve was concerned that you were not back yet, over.”

“On our way now, see you in twenty, Mark out.”

Betty turned away from the radio to find Steve and Dan looking worried.

Dan spoke first “Mark sounded strange, is everything okay with him?”

“He says it is.” Betty responded, “we’ll just have to wait 'till they get back to see for sure.”

Valerie and Mark started the journey back, both feeling nervous about what the future would hold for them. As they approached camp, Mark’s arm around Valerie’s waist, Steve was the first to spot them. He jumped up from the table to go meet them, bu Betty put a restraining hand on his arm to stop him.

“It looks like Val is hurt” Steve exclaimed.

“I don’t think she is” was her response, Steve and Dan looking questioningly at her. As the couple approached the camp, it was obvious that Val was not, in fact, hurt. It was also clear to that small audience that she and Mark had never looked happier.

They walked over to the table and sat down as if there was no change in the dynamics of the group. Dan, Steve and Betty didn't know, at first, how to react. They followed the lead of the new couple and sat there talking for a few minutes. Valerie then stood and announced that she was going to turn in. As she stood up, she said her good nights to the Spindrift Flight Crew. She then put her hand on Mark’s shoulder, he looked up at her, and she leaned down and kissed him good night. The other three tried to keep their suddenly slack jaws from hitting the ground.

After a few more minutes of desultory conversation, Betty couldn't hold out any longer and followed Val into the Spindrift, which served as the living quarters for the two women.

As Betty entered into the main cabin, she saw Val at the back. She seemed to have pulled something out one of her small suitcases. Val was so engrossed in whatever it was that she didn't hear Betty enter and stand behind her.

“What do have there?” Betty asked. Val spun around and dropped the item she was looking at.

“You startled me” Val let out a nervous laugh, her hand fluttering to her throat.

“Obviously” said Betty, “the question is, why?” As Betty approached she saw what Val had dropped . She reached down at the same time as Val but her reflexes were faster. She got to it first and picked the magazine up, a well thumbed page falling open as she held it in her hand.

“This magazine has a feature article on Mark.” She noticed Valerie’s embarrassment as she skimmed the article and then noticed the date of the magazine. “It’s from1980! Three years before you two met!” she exclaimed.

Val knew she could not keep the secret from Betty. In the past two years they had become like sisters. And quite frankly, Valerie was relieved to have someone to open up to. She told Betty the whole story. About how she had seen that article and been drawn to the man in the pictures. He had looked so sad she was sure she could bring some laughter into his eyes.

“Are you sure you did not have 80 million reasons for being attracted to him?” Betty asked.

“I have more money than I'll be able to spend in a lifetime. I don't need any more.” said Val, “although it would mean that he wouldn't be attracted to me for MY money.”

Betty just shook her head. She could not believe it. Valerie had had a crush on Mark Wilson three years before meeting him. “So, if we had landed in London, what were you going to do?” she asked Valerie.

“I don’t know. I spent the whole flight trying to figure that out. It was only a pretense that I was scared out of my wits by our rough flight, it was actually the thought that here was the man I'd wanted for so long, sitting right behind me. I just wanted to turn around and charm him out of his expensive business suit.” Val giggled, Betty unable to suppress a smile.

“Are you sure he would have been receptive at that time.” Betty asked.

“Probably not.” was Val’s answer. “You won’t tell him?” she pleaded.

“Of course not, your secret is safe with me.” Betty replied, still looking at the pictures and trying to see Mark Wilson, millionaire industrialist, as a sad human being needing to have joy brought into his life by one equally wealthy, vivacious socialite, Valerie Scott.

Mark had sat at the table for a short time after the women left, then too went to turn in, leaving Dan and Steve to sit looking at each other in amazement. Steve went to the cockpit of the Spindrift for his watch, and Dan walked to the lean to. As he entered he saw Barry asleep with Chipper on the ground next to his cot. Fitzhugh was snoring lightly, also fast asleep. In the back of the shelter, Mark sat on his cot with his battered briefcase on his lap. He seemed to be looking through something among the paperwork inside. Dan approached slowly, trying not to disturb Barry or Fitzhugh. He bumped against his cot, startling Mark into spilling the contents of his briefcase all over the ground. Dan came forward to help him, but Mark was trying to motion him that he did not need help. Dan picked up a magazine that had slid in his direction. Before Mark could grab it away from him, Dan noticed something familiar in the dim light of the lantern beside Mark’s cot. He looked closely at the magazine and was taken aback to see a glamorous picture of Miss Scott looking back at him from the glossy cover. It was a beautifully posed picture of Val wearing a form fitting, expensive evening gown, her red hair draped in sleek waves about her shoulders and a smile on her face that went all the way to her wide blue eyes. Dan smiled in a purely male appreciation of the image. He glanced at the date of the magazine and saw that it was from 1980.

“Did you get this from Val” asked Dan, surprised that Valerie would carry around a three year old magazine, even if it did have a picture of her on the cover. Mark sighed at having his well hidden secret found out.

“No” was Mark’s laconic response. “I have been carrying that in my briefcase ever since I saw it on an airport news stand, three years before we crashed………..”

The End.