I’m trying to find a sci-fi short story I read about 30 years ago in an anthology.
It was set in a future where people don’t meet in person and instead interact through screens. Everyone presents themselves with heavy makeup or some kind of artificial/idealized appearance, but it’s a social norm rather than a rule.
A man and woman form a relationship remotely and eventually decide to reveal their real faces (either in person or via screen). When they do, they are both shocked—not because they are disfigured, but because their natural faces feel unfamiliar or unsettling. They both withdraw and the relationship ends.
The tone was eerie and the ending made a strong impression on me. I’m pretty sure it was a short story in a multi-author anthology.
Does anyone recognize this?