A MERRY MAFIA CHRISTMAS (GxG)

XXIV

My Christmas List: December 10th
Magically make Armani a normal person instead of a mafia boss.

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"You brought me to... an art studio?" I asked, looking around the dim studio.

It was located in the back of the modern art gallery that Armani had brought me to.

In all honesty, I thought we were coming to a gallery showing, but then Armani led me past the empty gallery that was filled with beautiful paintings illuminated by the warm toned lighting, and toward the back studio.

There were art canvases of all sizes hanging on hooks that spanned across one singular wall, waiting to be painted on. The white wall to the right of the hanging canvases had a long white cabinet with white drawers, labeling each drawer with colors.

Red, Orange, Yellow, Blue, Purple, Pink, Green, Black, White, Grey, Brown.

"Each drawer holds paints relating to the color labeled on its drawer," Armani explained, walking over to the stack of plush wooden stools in the corner of the room. "There are oil paints, water color paints, acrylic paints, chalk paints—you name it and it's in there."

I stayed silent, still taking in the organized room. I looked down at the white cabinet that held a variety of paints. There were tall glasses on top it—filled with paint brushes—each size grouped together precisely.

My eyes darted over to the wall lined with floor to ceiling windows, noticing that black opaque blinds hanging from the ceiling over them.

Downtown Chicago lied behind the covered windows, which I could only assume was to block out the light earlier in the day. Right now, however, the sun had set and it was completely dark outside.

Finally I asked, "Did you rent this place out?"

Armani chuckled, earning my attention fully. It was now that I realized she had an art easel with a medium sized canvas set up in front of the plush stool she grabbed just a couple minutes prior.

"You can't rent something that you own my love," Armani said, her tone completely amused.

My heart skipped a beat. My love.

She just called me...

"Miracle," Armani said, snapping me from the daze she put me in. She set down the second stool on the other side of the art easel, looking at me. "Sit for me," she said, the words sounding so incredibly attractive coming from her lips.

Jesus, I would do a lot more than just sit for her—

I cleared my throat, get it together Mira.

After a few seconds, I was in front of her, sitting down on the stool before her.

Armani stared down at me, complete silence growing around us. There was an unspoken tension between us.

Sexual tension to be exact.

I wanted so desperately to reach out for her. To pull her warm body down into mine. To feel her warm lips move against my own.