SANTA HAD A LIST. CANDY HAS IDEAS.
Candy Kane was Santa's favorite elf. Not that he would ever admit it in front of the others.
She was rebellious, delightfully mischievous, and forever getting herself into one scrape or another. She flirted shamelessly, laughed at her own jokes, and had a remarkable talent for making even the grumpiest elves smile.
Santa adored her. There were times when her antics had him laughing so hard his belly shook like a bowlful of jelly.
Unfortunately, the other elves weren't nearly as amused.
Candy had a way of disrupting the orderly business of the North Pole. She could turn the simplest task into an adventure, and the elves who took their work rather seriously were forever complaining about her latest shenanigans.
But Santa understood something they didn't.
Candy brought merriment wherever she went. And what was Christmas without merriment?
Still, something had to be done.
For months, Santa pondered the problem. He couldn't bear to dampen Candy's spirit, but he needed to find something that would keep her happily occupied and give the other elves a little peace.
Then one foggy Christmas evening, it came to him.
"Brilliant!" Santa exclaimed, nearly spilling his cocoa.
He summoned Candy to his study.
"Candy, my dear, I have a very special job for you. My Naughty or Nice List has grown so large that I can hardly keep up with everyone. I've got the little boys and girls taken care of, but I could certainly use some help with the grown-ups."
Candy's eyes lit up.
"The grown-ups, Santa?"
"Indeed. All those big boys and girls who've been getting themselves into goodness knows what."
A mischievous little smile spread across Candy's face.
"And you want me to investigate?"
Santa chuckled.
"I can't think of anyone better suited to the job."
For once, Candy Kane was speechless.
But only for a moment.
Because somewhere in that wonderfully imaginative little mind of hers, the possibilities were already beginning to unfold.
And Santa, watching the expression on her face, began to wonder exactly what he'd gotten himself into.
