Page 53 of The Perfect Poise

Finn appeared at the now non-existent door, with a shocked expression on his face and the zip ties in his clenched fist. She extended her hand, and he tossed them to her.

“Can you please call campus police while I deal with him?”

Again, Finn nodded silently as he pulled out his phone. While he called, she proceeded to tie Clayton's wrists together behind his back. Then she had an idea. She took another tie, and attached it to Clayton's ankle before connecting it to a leg of the desk he’d been sitting at only minutes earlier. Satisfied that it was secure, she stood up. Finn was just finishing the call.

“Yes, at the very back of the fourth floor, at the study rooms behind the stacks. We’ll be waiting.”

He hung up and looked at her, still stunned.

“They said to hang tight,” he told her, sounding like he was in shock. “They’ll be here within two minutes.”

“Great,” she said. “I think we’ll get by until then. Are you okay?”

“I will be,” he answered. “Are you?”

“Mostly,” she said. “Don’t forget, I’ve been through stuff like this before.”

“Oh yeah,” he said, still sounding uncertain. “I haven’t.”

“You did good,” she told him, trying to shake him out of his disorientation.

“Thanks?” he said hesitantly, managing an embarrassed smile. “I feel like it’s an understatement to say this, but so did you.”

“Thanks,” she said with a laugh, stepping over and giving him a kiss on the cheek.

“What was that for?”

“Showing up,” she said. “I thought you were going to be late because you needed food.”

“I decided food could wait,” he told her. “I realized this was more important.”

“My hero,” she said, batting her eyes playfully.

“Are you kidding?” he exclaimed, seeming to be returning to his old self a bit. “You’re my hero. You’re such a badass. How did you stay so calm and collected through all that?”

She sighed.

“Unfortunately, I’ve had a lot of practice,” she told him. “I’m just keeping it together until the cops get here. Then the shaking will kick in.”

Finn nodded sympathetically. On the floor behind them, Clayton groaned again. Finn looked in his direction.

“What the hell happened?” he asked.

“I’ll get into it later,” she said, feeling suddenly exhausted. “Let’s just say that Clayton wasn’t exactly what he seemed to be.”

"Well, apparently neither are you," Finn said, then grinned mischievously. "Would you like a return kiss in acknowledgement of your accomplishment?"

“We can see about that later,” she told him. “Right now, let’s just get this guy to the cops.”

“Understood,” Finn said. “Sorry to be so glib.”

“That’s okay,” she told him, “but I wouldn’t mind a hug right now.”

“Sure,” he said, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her in tight.

It was then, when she finally felt safe, that the shaking began.

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE

---