Vivian stood by the window and flinched when she saw the bright white-yellow flash on the side of the hill.
A low rumble followed that sounded like thunder. She saw thick, black smoke belch upward into the sky. She sighed and blinked in disbelief. She wondered what may have happened.
Christine laughed, jumped with joy, and twerked her butt off.
“I did it! I finally did it!” Christine said. “Yesterday, she was alive. Tonight, she is dead. Yahoooo, mofo!”
Christine executed a gangsta-style wave with her arms along with a two-hand peace sign and crossed them at the wrists.
“Boo-yeah!” she said and flipped both middle fingers.
They all laughed.
“C’mon,” Christine said. “Let’s get our things and beat it. Go, go, go!”
They scrambled for their luggage and stepped out into the hot, windy night. They looked to the west where Rose Hutchins’s home had stood moments ago and observed several houses go up in flames as the fierce Santa Anas fanned the fires. The conflagration kindled and burned trees, shrubs, and homes. Sirens screamed in the night. Strobes of red lights flashed and pulsed as several fire engines arrived at the scene of the impending crisis.
“Burn in Hell,” Christine said. “The ninth circle, that is. For eternity.”
They stopped by Dougie’s car for a few minutes while he put luggage in the trunk.
“My convertible’s over there,” Christine said. She pointed to the third tier of the parking structure.
“I’ll go with you,” Jimmy said.
“Be right back,” Christine said to Dougie and Tawny.
Jimmy helped load her luggage into the trunk. Christine turned to Jimmy and brushed strands of hair from her face as the winds continued to blow. She gazed at him with a smile.
“Thank you, Jimmy,” Christine said and hugged him.
He returned the embrace.
“Thank you again for coming to help,” she said. “I appreciate it.”
“Sure,” he said with a nod. “Anytime.”
“Well, I’m going to be staying with Dougie and Tawny for about a week or so, then after that, I’ll come up to see you. Okay?”
“Yeah.”
“Don’t worry. You’ll definitely get paid. I’ve actually thought about moving to New York for good. I would like to be on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and to be closer to you. As a matter of fact, I’ve thought about getting a condo there.”
“Cool. But, I’m quite a ways from the Upper West Side.”
“Oh, no prob. It’s cool. See ya soon.” Christine hugged him once more. “It’s been a blast. Literally. Take care, Jimmy.” She planted a kiss on his cheek and hopped in her car.
“Ready?” Tawny asked from the passenger’s seat when Christine pulled up next to Dougie’s car.
Christine turned to face Tawny and nodded with a smile, then watched the conflagration before her as she stared through the windshield. Transfixed, she observed flames shoot thirty feet in the air and ignite everything in its path.
After a few moments, they were on their way to Florida while Jimmy drove to New York.