I’d once hidden inside one to watch the couple I’d just united make out under an awning in the rain. It had been one of my most uncomfortable half hours on Earth. Linz, Austria, Valentine’s Day, 1974. But the couple was still together today, and the woman had given birth to three children, all of whom were happily wed.And they say I’m no good at my job.“Miss Olympia, I’m Vice Principal Austin.” The vice principal had thick light-brown hair pulled back in a tight bun, and wore a brown suit and orange shirt. She did not look like a happy woman. “Have a seat.”She gestured at a wooden chair as the security guard closed the door behind me. If I had to guess, I would have said we had about five hours’ worth of oxygen in the room before we both passed out. I sat down. The round white clock above the door loudly ticked off each passing second.“What’s this about?” I asked. I wanted to get this meeting over with as quickly as possible so I could get back to Charlie and Marion.
