made in heaven, a short story (originally published in exquisite corpse)

Made in Heaven

(originally published in Exquisite Corpse)

The Test

He believes in eugenics — his line was bred for sad brown eyes turned down on the outer corners.  He feels his Self slipping away, somehow.  The Self he was creating — he did it, he was tied to a woman, a woman who didn’t really want him, a woman who flailed at being tied to men like an unbroken yearling colt flails at the lead chain.  He fell in love with her watching her walk in the grass at the side of the road — bare arms, long brown dress, square brown handbag, pale white skin, waist-length brown hair.  He’d had ten cups of coffee pulling an all-nighter to teach his first medieval history class.  His role:  the nervous young professor.  He stopped to give her a ride — his first day on the job, he didn’t…