Catch up on chapter 3 before reading on…

For the next few days, Rick felt unstoppable.  

ThinkTech Premium turned the spark of the free trial into an inferno. Every word he spoke, every smile he flashed, and every movement he made was meticulously calibrated to enthrall Zach and anyone lucky enough to cross his path. The surge of power was electrifying—Rick’s mind crackled with razor-sharp wit, magnetic charisma, and an almost supernatural attunement to the world around him. Each morning, he awoke with an unstoppable drive, his thoughts snapping into alignment like precision-engineered cogs, propelling him toward a brilliance he’d only ever imagined.  

With ThinkTech shaping his every move, Rick’s nights with Zach became the stuff of fantasies—charged, intimate, and unforgettable. Date night at the leather bar was pure alchemy as ThinkTech whispered the perfect cues into his mind. The prompts told him how to stand—broad shoulders back, chin tilted just so—and when to unleash a sly grin that drew Zach closer into his orbit. When Zach growled with laughter at Rick’s jokes, ThinkTech nudged Rick to lean even closer, delivering just the right compliment into his ear.  

As they danced, Rick intuitively adapted to Zach’s every movement. Rick felt the heat of Zach’s hand, firm yet tender, lingering on the small of his back, the subtle pressure of his fingers tracing the gentle curve of his leather-clad dad bod.  

Later, back at Rick’s house, it felt like they were the only two people in the world. He pressed closely against Zach, their breath mingling in the dim light. Every moment and every touch deepened their connection—Zach’s fingertips on Rick’s chin, Rick’s lips teasing along the edge of Zach’s beard. They explored each other slowly and deliberately, savoring every heartbeat as their blood pumped in unison through their veins. By the time the night gave way to dawn, Zach’s eyes shimmered with awe, desire, and even love.  

Each morning, ThinkTech enabled Rick to relive his marathon nights with Zach with cinematic clarity, savoring every charged glance, every lingering touch, as if the memories themselves were electric. The afterglow of ThinkTech’s influence wrapped around him like a warm, golden haze. He was finally the man he’d always dreamed of being. In their dwindling hours apart, Zach’s texts grew bolder, laced with playful flirtation and tantalizing hints of their next encounter. Each chime of his phone sent a thrilling jolt through Rick, giving ThinkTech yet another opportunity to craft the perfect response.  

But as the week wore on, an uneasy thought crept into his mind. The halcyon week of ThinkTech Premium was about to end.  

On the seventh day, Rick’s thumb hovered above the ThinkTech app icon, trembling with dread. A gnawing coiled in his gut, warning him of what he feared but couldn’t avoid. The truth awaited behind the sleek, glowing logo, and he braced himself before tapping it. The amount for another week of Premium—more than a month’s salary—appeared on the screen, and his stomach clenched as the realization solidified. Another week of Premium was far beyond his reach. It wasn’t just unaffordable; it was ruinous.  

He killed the app, and as if sensing his hesitation, ThinkTech chimed into his ear.  

Did you enjoy your week of Premium, Rick? We’re glad to hear it. Continue your confidence with our affordable Basic plan.  

Basic plan? Rick reopened the app, swearing he hadn’t noticed the existence of a Basic plan before. A glimmer of relief sparked; he had another date with Zach that evening, but his Premium subscription would have expired by then. Basic sounded doable—it was still pricy but within reach. He signed up immediately, scrolling past the small print and the myriad toggleable options. All he knew was that he needed ThinkTech’s guidance for his next date with Zach. Finally, something was working. Finally, he was working.  

The transition from Premium to Basic wasn’t noticeable at first. Throughout the afternoon, Rick still felt the quiet hum of ThinkTech’s influence as he prepared for his date. The familiar suggestions gently nudged him to straighten his jacket and check his posture. But as afternoon gave way to evening, the prompts became thinner and less detailed, stranding Rick in a no-man’s land of having to make conscious decisions where there had once been a seamless flow of thoughts into his mind.  

It wasn’t until they were out at dinner that Rick fully realized what he was missing.  

Zach was in top storytelling form, his magnetic presence drawing Rick in like a moth to a flame. But Rick’s confidence cracked under the pressure to match Zach’s energy. ThinkTech’s once-reliable guidance had become maddeningly quiet. Rather than fully developed prompts designed to spur the conversation forward, ThinkTech chimed in with one-word directions.  

Nod. Nod. Laugh. Stop. Smile. Nod.   

The familiar fog began to seep into Rick’s mind, clouding the spaces where ThinkTech’s effortless charm used to shine.  

“You feeling all right? You’re awfully quiet tonight,” Zach said, his sharp eyes scanning Rick as if looking into his soul. “Where’s the trademark Rick swagger?”  

Rick forced a laugh, each labored “Ha” sounding hollow even to his ears. “Left it at. Home.” His smile faltered as he struggled to sound authentic.  

“Really?” Zach grinned, misinterpreting Rick’s confusion for mystique. “And here I thought I’d finally met someone who could keep up with me.”  

Rick’s heart pounded, not from excitement but from the pressure mounting with every exchange. He groped for something clever to say, but the words felt sluggish and tarry, trapped beneath the weight of ThinkTech’s dense fog. He wiped the corner of his mouth, preemptively removing the drool that started to form.  

“I’m just catching. My. Breath,” he said weakly. He flushed with embarrassment at the sound of his voice.  

Zach’s laugh was playful, but a hint of concern showed in his narrowing eyes. “Well, don’t slow down now. It’s still early, and I’ve got those new chaps back home I want to wear for you later.”  

Each time Rick opened his mouth to respond, the fog in his mind thickened. Fragments of thoughts fired haphazardly in his brain, but ThinkTech prevented him from articulating them.  

“We’re, uh, gay,” Rick finally stammered, loudly enough for the next table over to raise an eyebrow. Zach physically recoiled.  

“What’s going on with you?” he whispered.  

Rick bit his tongue, fearing that he’d worsen an already dire situation. He sat in his growing humiliation for a few seconds before ThinkTech spoke in his mind again. Only this time, it wasn’t to prompt him with thoughts.  

You seem to be having a tough time, Rick. Would you like to add Advanced Social Interaction to your Basic plan? It’s only $3.99 for the first minute and $19.99 each minute after that.  

The ad was loud and captured Rick’s mind like an annoying pop up. Zach set his napkin on the table as the sales pitch continued.  

He won’t sit there waiting on you forever, Rick. Blink twice to activate Advanced Social Interaction and return to the good stuff.  

The price tag was steep, but Rick couldn’t let such a deep connection with Zach slip through his fingers. He blinked twice and immediately felt a surge of pleasure flood his mind and body. ThinkTech’s guidance returned immediately, coaxing him forward, and the upgrade cost was temporarily banished from his thoughts.  

“Oh, you know me,” he replied, ending the awkward silence. “Just had a long day, but thinking about your ass in those chaps is giving me a second wind.”  

The tension melted away, but in its place, a creeping dread coiled tightly in Rick’s chest. This was only the beginning—he knew it deep down—as the evening continued and ThinkTech’s prompts returned, each accompanied by a sinister cost. The increasingly suggestive conversation with Zach brought with it more prodding from ThinkTech. Rick’s heart sank as upsell after upsell invaded his mind. The maddening dance of passion and transactions tightened the app’s control over him.  

Add Humor and Wit for $9.99 to enhance your charm.  

Personalized Responses are available for $19.99 each. Make sure that every word is precisely what he wants to hear.  

“Guess I’m just too distracted by you to think straight,” he crooned, salvaging another awkward exchange with a double blink.  

Zach’s laughter returned, and for a second, Rick felt the familiar rush, the high of his own self confidence. Still, it was immediately tempered by the realization that every word and thought came with a price. He was being nickeled and dimed for his own personality.  

The rest of the night unfolded like a strange performance. Each time he felt Zach’s eyes on him, waiting expectantly for the conversation to continue, a new prompt would appear, each pricier than the last. By the time they returned to Zach’s loft, Rick had shelled out more on this date than he’d paid for the entire week of Premium.  

But none of that mattered when Zach emerged from his bedroom wearing nothing but his new pair of leather chaps. They might as well have been painted on so tight that they creaked with Zach’s every slow, seductive movement.  

“I want you to take me,” Zach growled.  

“Take you where? We’re already at your house.”  

Zach laughed and reached inside Rick’s waistband. “Don’t make me beg. Let me have your cock.”  

Rick’s brows knitted in bewilderment. He followed Zach back into the bedroom and shuffled out of his clothes. Zach lay down and guided Rick into position at the foot of the bed, resting his ankles on Rick’s shoulders.  

“I want you so bad. Do it.”  

Rick looked at Zach’s expectant naked body and then at his own.  

“I–” he struggled to form the words. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.”  

Rick’s face went slack as ThinkTech chimed in with a timely explanation.  

Human Sexuality is not included in the Basic plan, Rick. Upgrade to Premium to unlock access to your manhood.  

He blinked twice.