Page 24 of Christmas Mittens Murder

Mona snickered. “Sounds like it’s going to get a little exciting around here!”

We watched as Sabrina and Liddy, elbowing each other, made a beeline for the poor unsuspecting Jon Black, who did not have the faintest clue that he was about to be trapped in a love triangle from hell.

That first introduction, however brief because the class bell rang just as both girls managed to get their names out, set off a stiff competition that lasted a whole week, with Liddy and Sabrina vying for Jon’s attention. They would both sit with him at lunch and laugh uproariously at everything that came out of his mouth, even when he wasn’t trying to be funny. They both somehow got their hands on his class schedule and managed to situate themselves in the perfect position to casually run into him so they could walk with him to his next class. He had no privacy, as they were both in the immediate vicinity of his locker whenever he arrived at school in the morning or was leaving in the afternoon.

As heated as the competition was, it only got more frustrating for Liddy and Sabrina because Jon seemed to be immensely enjoying the slavish devotion both girls were piling on him and he just didn’t seem to feel any urgency to choose between them. However, his two self-proclaimed love interests were reaching their breaking point. The Snow Ball was fast approaching. Time was running out. He was going to have to make a choice.

The two girls went into hyperoverdrive. They turned up the flirting, brought little gifts, handed out endless compliments about his physique, his test scores, his feeble attempt to grow a mustache that looked more like a baby caterpillar clinging to his upper lip. And both girls were relentless with their not-so-subtle hints about the Snow Ball. However, neither one still seemed to be making any headway.

I could see that Liddy was going absolutely bananas, so I finally had to step in. I pulled her aside and told her in no uncertain terms that she needed to give up this ridiculous quest. It was just getting to be too much and embarrassing to watch. But Liddy was intractable. In her mind, this was a battle between good (her) and evil (Sabrina), and it was a war she had to win.

I sighed and said, “Okay, fine. But let me offer up a little advice. My mother always says, ‘The best way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.’ ”

Liddy’s eyes lit up. She hugged me and told me I was a genius, and then she ran off without another word.

The next morning before classes, Mona and I were sitting at the lunchroom table watching Sabrina fawn all over Jon, both of us wondering where in the world was Liddy. As if on cue, Liddy came sailing into the lunchroom with a beautifully wrapped box and presented it to Jon. “A little birdie told me you love peanut butter fudge!”

She had borrowed the recipe from me.

Well, Jon’s face lit up with pleasure as he handed the fudge to Sabrina to hold for him while he stood up and pulled Liddy in for a long grateful hug. Liddy smiled sweetly over his shoulder at a seething Sabrina, who had to restrain herself from hurling the box of fudge across the room.

Liddy snatched the box of fudge back from Sabrina and handed it to Jon and told him to open it right away so he could enjoy some. He happily complied and began chomping it down, in between bites raving to Liddy that it was the most delicious fudge he had ever tasted. Liddy euphorically soaked up the accolades while Sabrina silently sulked.

After a few minutes, Sabrina finally decided she had endured enough humiliation. She jumped to her feet and told Liddy that she was undeserving of a boy like Jon, that she should set her sights much lower. Liddy was not about to take that kind of a slam and began screaming at Sabrina, calling her a sore loser and telling her that she should just suck it up and admit defeat.

As the two girls shouted at each other, neither noticed that Jon had begun coughing and choking and holding a hand to his throat while frantically waving for help with his other. His face was starting to turn blue. He was trying to signal Liddy and Sabrina for help, but they were both ignoring him.

Before any of us had time to react, as if from Heaven itself, a curly haired girl with glasses appeared, grabbing Jon from behind and expertly performing the Heimlich maneuver. Another girl near Jon got the attention of Liddy and Sabrina, who finally stopped screaming at each other, now realizing the seriousness of the situation.

The girl gave a final thrust with her hands, and Jon let out a gasp as a peanut went sailing through the air, landing on the floor. Everyone watched in stunned silence before bursting out in applause for the heroics of the girl who saved Jon’s life after he nearly choked on the peanut that had lodged in his throat.

Sabrina opened her mouth to blame Liddy for nearly killing poor Jon with her deadly fudge, but before she could say a word, Jon held up his hand to silence her. Then he turned to his rescuer, whose name was Anne, a pretty senior, a girl most students barely noticed because she was always so quiet and shy around other people.

Jon grabbed Anne in a hug, thanked her profusely and then said that if she ever needed anything, anything at all, she only had to ask.

Anne broke out into a wide smile, glanced playfully at Liddy and Sabrina, then looked at Jon, batted her eyes a few times and whispered coquettishly, “Well, if you don’t already have a date, I would love for you to take me to the Snow Ball this weekend.”

“Of course! It would be my honor!” Jon replied with a big grin. Then he took her hand and they began to stroll away together, but not before Jon stopped, came running back for his box of fudge and then dashed off to join Anne again.

Liddy swears to this day that between Sabrina and that cursed peanut butter fudge, her life was ruined. I don’t argue with her for my own peace of mind, but just for fun, every holiday season I make her a batch of my own peanut butter fudge to stir things up.

I know it’s the Christmas season, but any time of the year is a good time for a margarita! Here is my favorite Christmas Margarita, which I love serving at my holiday gatherings. Disfrutar!

Christmas Margarita

Ingredients:

3 ounces cranberry juice

1 ounce triple sec

2 ounces tequila

Garnish, optional: orange slice and cranberries

Rim a cocktail glass with your favorite salt or sugar.

Add all of your ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice, and shake well.

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