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T.C. Boyle writes some really great contemporary short stories. But they are "funny," so if you're a serious writer you'll get less out of them. The other person I was going to recommend is Raymond Carver, but try his "Cathedral" too.
Andre Dubus is, in my opinion, the best short story writer who ever lived. Read "A Father's Story," "The Curse," and "The Fat Girl." I can't stress his brilliance enough.
Also, it might be worth your time to check out some authors who aren't middle-class white males. Jhumpa Lahiri, Sandra Cicernos, etc. It's easy to overlook writers who are harder to relate to, but they're invaluable.
The rule of thumb is, you need to read 1000 short stories before you can write a good one. Just read fucking everything. It was Stephen King who said that you can learn as much from bad writing as from good. Ironic.
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