In the Flesh

Emily Frances Kaplan
2025-05-28

0
16 min

Suzanne is a homemaker with an erotic fixation on her butcher and his expert handling of flesh…a skill that stands in sharp contrast to the rote sex life she shares with her husband, Tom. To make matters more complicated, the butcher, unbeknownst to our protagonist, is trans-masculine, and Suzanne is not exactly LGBTQ+ aware; she’s overtly dismissive of her non-binary teenager’s gender identity, Ruth. Things come to a head when Tom invites Tracy, his estranged adult niece, to dinner. Suzanne visits her butcher and prepares a prime cut exactly as he suggests. Later, when the doorbell rings, she’s met with a shocking surprise. This mystery family member is the butcher – the butcher is Tracy. As the evening progresses, Suzanne must navigate her conflicting desires, face her prejudices, and acknowledge a deep-seated longing for something more.