The wedding traitor

chapter 35

"so what's the plan?" Eunice finally agreed to work with Jimmy. If that was what will make him leave her alone and stop pestering her, she would do it. Besides, she wasn't sure he was sure of himself.

"Uhm... It's 5:30 now. Claire must be thinking why you came to her house on such short notice. This will give me enough time to plan something" he said, thinking.

"Okay..." Eunice said.

Jimmy looked around for a while, then said; "yes!"

"What?"

"I've gotten the perfect plan. Look up. When I bought this house, I noticed the electronic ceiling. A button on the tile connects it"

"Okay..." Eunice tried coping.

"When you match the tiles like this" he demonstrated; "...see? The ceiling opens".

Eunice watched and saw how a square of the ceiling opened when he matched a particular tile. "So how does it help?" She asked, confused.

"If I could find something to place there, when Claire matches this tile, the item will trap her making it impossible for her to run away"

Eunice understood now. "How are you sure Claire would step on that particular tile?" She was already doubting Jimmy's plan.

"There's a way she normally stamps her foot on the floor whenever she's angry or she's warning me. We just have to get her to stand right here" he pointed out, serious in what he was doing.

"I don't know, whatever" Eunice said dryly.

"I just need the right trap instruments up there" he thought out loud.

"Why don't you just get the chimney pot and place the hot stones and charcoal woods up there? Don't you think it'll work?" Eunice couldn't believe she was plotting against her own best friend- Claire.

"Brilliant idea! Thanks Eunice" he went straight to the fireplace. "We don't have time, help me" he beckoned her. They both carried the chimney pot. "Place it right here. Easy and steady" Jimmy said; "Gimme a minute. I'll get a ladder" he rushed outside leaving Eunice standing next to the pot.

Before a minute, he was actually back. He gently placed it correctly, vertically upwards, from the tiles to the opened ceiling. He climbed the ladder.

"Be careful..." Eunice weirdly remembered the time in that dusty hall.

"Hmmm" he mumbled a reply.

"Now pass me the pot"

"What...? I should hand you this hot pot from down here? No way! What if something happens to me?" She said.

"You just have to trust me Eunice. We're running out of time. Now pass me the pot" he said and she nonchalantly handed it to him.

With much difficulty, he succeeded in arranging the pot and placing it in the ceiling. He held his waist standing confused on the ladder.

"So what next?" She asked.

"I can't figure out what to do..." He said. "The pot is just too hot and heavy and the open tiles is all the way there" he said, frustrated.

"So, I guess we're giving up" she grinned dryly.

"No way" he stood silent then said; "come up here, you're helping me push this thing" he ordered.

"Yeah...yeah... whatever" she climbed the ladder and heaving a sigh, they pushed the pot together towards the open tiles. "I'll have to go around and pull--"

"Yeah" he shifted for her to slowly pass to the other side. The tile was rectangular like a tube and difficult for Eunice to pass without brushing the hot pot or Jimmy. Well, she chose Jimmy. She wasn't going to risk getting hurt by a hot chimney pot.

They faced each other as she tried hard to go over without looking at his lips or face. She could swear Jimmy also felt the odd and weird sensual air. Trying hard not to touch the hot pot and avoiding his eye contact, she succeeded in crossing over.

"Okay. In the count of two. One...two" they pushed. "Alright" he said.

"This thing is burning the ceiling! It's very hot" Eunice remarked.

"Yeah. That'll even make our work easy" he said.

"How?" She asked, failing to remove her eyes from Jimmy's grinning lips.

"Once she steps on that tiles, it'll simultaneously open not giving her room to save herself" he replied.

Eunice swallowed. What if Claire was actually innocent?

But, she'd already made a deal with Jimmy. A deal is a deal.