"...You're laughing at me. You absolutely are. You complete jerk..."
Elena walked down the street holding Raphael's left hand, expression somewhere between confused and offended.
She lifted the edge of the glove with her free fingers and found herself looking at a mannequin display hand.
"Where did you even find this?"
Raphael scanned the street around them and answered without looking at her.
"Alley behind a clothing store yesterday. The hand detaches, and the wrist section is hollow by design, slides right on. Clothes and glove over the top. Passable."
Elena squeezed it experimentally. The texture was profoundly wrong.
"Thanks, I suppose. If my mom ever found out I was holding hands with a man I'd known for two days she'd tear me apart."
Raphael glanced sideways at her.
"Your family is that strict?"
She exhaled and swung their joined arms without thinking, nearly dislodging the mannequin hand entirely.
