Charles dragged his feet outside his apartment. It was a sunny September morning and meeting Bob at the park was long overdue. The two friends had hardly seen each other ever since Bob’s marriage and now that their spouses had decided to treat themselves to a wonderful spa day, the time seemed right for the boys to have some fun of their own. Bob was to bring the basketball and the beers for the post-match celebration while Charles only had to worry about bringing a smile and a bit of energy to go with it. Of course, it was easier said than done.

The forty-five-year-old man was tired. The shifts at the auto factory were getting longer and the paycheck continued to dwindle. inflation was still skyrocketing in the country, keeping up with the world trend, and no one knew for sure when things were expected to stabilize. Between gas prices, mortgage payments, and unexpected trips to the dentist, Charles had a lot on his plate, and he wasn’t even hungry. He needed a sign that things were about to get better but the Heavens refused to give him one.

Unlike his wife Patricia, Charles was a religious man, or at least that’s what he chose to believe. The days of Sunday School were long gone but there was still a bit of altar boy in him. He prayed almost every morning for the serenity to keep going and wished the same for everyone else he knew. Patricia saw no value in such rituals but respected his desires. Despite having a bit of a temper, she was a good person with a lot of love to give. Her generosity was the thing he loved most about her, but there were others, including some spicy traits that belonged in the bedroom and nowhere else. Even after a decade together, they maintained a healthy sex life, and she wasn’t afraid to try new things.

As for Bob, he had yet to experience the joy of the first anniversary. A late bloomer in almost everything, he kissed his first girl when he was nineteen and didn’t fall in love until he reached thirty. Latinas had always been his one true passion so when he finally met one who loved him back, he popped the question during a double date and never looked back. Luz was as radiant as her name and gave his world new meanings every day. He doubted there was anyone else alive as lucky as him, but Charles and Patricia were probably not that far off even with all the hardships and he loved them both dearly as well.

Bob had been waiting for almost ten minutes in the asphalt court when Charles finally arrived wearing his favorite pair of shorts and a horizontal striped T-shirt in shades of gray and deep blue. He was already tired, and they hadn’t even begun to shoot some hoops. They shared a brief hug and then the friendly rivalry kicked in.

“It’s good to see you, Charles,” Bob said. “Are you ready to have your butt kicked?”

“What? If I recall correctly, you never won against me one on one. What makes you think today will be any different?”

“That little pot belly you’ve got going on there, for starters,” Bob smirked. “Have you been eating too many greasy burgers lately?”

“Look who’s talking. You’ve gained at least fifteen pounds since the last time we were together.”

“That’s the power of Spanish home-cooked meals for you. Luz has been getting better than ever and she can’t get the restaurant idea out of her head. Have I told you about her investor?”

“No, I don’t think so.”

“His name is Guillermo, a friend of her father from Madrid, and a real stand-up guy. He has money to burn and sees the business potential more than anyone else, myself included. If this goes through like I hope it does, it’s going to be a hell of a thing.”

“That’s great. I hope everything goes out. Now, give me that ball so I can show you I haven’t lost my touch.”

“Be my guest.” Bob handed him the ball and assumed a defensive position. “You’re going down today.”

“Tell that to your knees.”

The friendly match began with a turnover. Bob didn’t waste his first scoring opportunity and the second was successful, too. Charles was rustier than he thought, giving away his plans quite easily. When he got the first triple, Bob already had an eight-point lead. However, things changed rapidly as Charles’ legs remembered the feel of the court. He loosened up and the dribbles became like second nature once again. In little over three minutes, he closed the distance and took the lead, never losing it again until Bob asked for a time-out.

“Wow! Where did all that energy come from?” he asked.

“Hey, I’ve always been competitive, and I want to keep my streak. Are you ready to tap out?”

“No, I still have a few minutes left in me.”

“It’s your funeral then.”

The match resumed and Charles’ lead began to widen. Once it reached two digits, Bob stopped trying to get back in the game and focused on not letting his friend brag too much. The sixteen-point differential at the end of their competition was at least honorable enough.

“Bah! Foiled again, but I’ll get you eventually,” he declared.

“Sure you will,” Charles laughed. “This was fun. Thanks.”

“My pleasure.” Bob sat at a small stone table and handed him a beer can straight out of the cooler. “So, what’s new between you and the missus?”

“Are you asking me about our sex life again?”

“Of course. You always have the best stories to tell. What have you two lovebirds been up to recently?”

“Not much, sorry.”

“Hmm, not buying that. There’s always something new. Come on, I promise I won’t tell Patricia or Luz.”

“You’ve never been good at keeping secrets, my friend.”

“I’m way better than before, trust me. You broke my spirit with yet another defeat. This is the only way you can make it up to me.”

“You’re out of luck today, Bob.”

“Are you really not going to tell me?”

“Yep.”

“That’s harsh. I should have given you a warm beer if I knew you were going to treat me this way,” Bob laughed.

“Better luck next time.”

“Hmm... anyway, there’s something else I’d like to talk to you about.”

“What is it?”

“We should go on a double date again soon. Gino’s open again.”

“Are you serious? I thought that place closed down years ago.”

“It did but it’s back in business now. The two sons of the original owner brought back the old decor and menu and it’s looking lively again. They have a new website and everything. Here, let me show you.”

Bob reached for his smartphone but as he touched the screen he realized the battery was dead.

“Shit. I parked my car near the North Entrance. Come with me so I can charge this thing.”

“I don’t need to see the restaurant, Bob. If you say it’s like I remember it, that’s good enough for me. When do you want to go?”

“I was thinking next week if you have the time.”

“I’ll work something out, don’t worry.”

“Okay. Did you drive all the way here like I did?”

“No. I brought the bike.”

“Let’s go it then and I’ll drive you home.”

“Good idea.”

Bob walked Charles to the spot where he had left his mountain bike and then made the trek back to his SUV. The energetic friend was eager to show him the pictures of the restaurant, but the car’s built-in charger wasn’t working either.

“Laptop it is then,” he popped the vehicle’s trunk and grabbed a waterproof backpack. Charles was surprised to see him risk getting robbed like that but said nothing until Bob turned it on and prepared to open his browser of choice. Suddenly, he started shivering.

“What’s wrong?” Bob asked.

“Hmm, do you mind not doing that, please?”

Such an odd request couldn’t go unanswered, so Bob insisted,

“Why?”

“I’d rather you didn’t, please.”

“Hmmm...” Bob scratched his mustache. “You realize how weird that sounds, right? What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” Charles backed away, fidgeting his thumbs.

“Liar. Something is bothering you and it has something to do with... What? The Internet? Tell me what’s going on, please.”

“I... No, I don’t want to. It’s fucking embarrassing!”

“Embarrassing? I had no idea that word existed for you. Does this have something to do with you and Patricia? Because you were being coy earlier, too.”

“I... Forget it and let’s go home, okay?

“Tell me, Charles.” Bob’s fingers hovered over the browser’s icon. Already starting to sweat from his forehead and armpits, Charles retorted,

“Fine, I’ll tell you. Promise me you won’t laugh, though.”

“I promise. What’s bothering you?” Bob sat on the back of the SUV and crossed his arms.

“Hmm, well... this will probably sound weird to you, but Patricia lately got into hypnosis. She wanted to spice up our sex life with some fun suggestions and then she read a post online.”

“What sort of post?”

“It was a list of suggestions written by some online Domme with games for lovers to play. One of them involved associating specific triggers to everyday objects and activities and since she found it on the web, she thought it would be fun to try something with it. To cut the story short, she played with my head and now the Internet is dangerous to me. Weird things happen when browsers are involved, okay?”

Bob didn’t know whether to laugh or act surprised. “Are you for real right now?”

“Absolutely! I’m not proud of it, but it’s true.”

“What sort of weird things are we talking about?”

“I’ve already said enough. Let’s drop it, please.”

“Now that you got me curious?” Bob raised a quizzical eyebrow. “Seems like a waste when I can just touch the screen and...”

Bob loaded Firefox and Charles’ eyes went blank. Arms falling loose, he began wagging an imaginary tail causing a small breeze to rustle the early Autumn leaves on the ground. Bob remained silent for a minute but then couldn’t help himself and laughed like a teenager who had just witnessed the greatest prank known to mankind. Charles continued to shake his ass maniacally until Bob closed the browser window and the trigger dissolved into nothingness. The older man regained consciousness and blushed.

“Shit! You weren’t supposed to see that!” he mumbled.

“Why not?” Bob laughed even louder. “That was absolutely hilarious. How the hell did you allow your mind to be programmed like that?”

“I honestly don’t know. Either Patricia is too good of a hypnotist or am I quite the subject. Have you had your fun?” Charles tried to take the laptop away from him. “I want to go home.”

“And I’d like to know if there are more triggers. Do all browsers come with one?”

“Not all of them but yes, there are others, some of which are even more annoying. Please, Bob! This is not as fun as you think it is...”

“Well...” his friend’s eyes twinkled mischievously as he hit another icon on the laptop’s taskbar.

A Chrome window opened, and Bob froze on the spot, his muscles becoming rigid. He was like a statue now or a shiny automaton waiting for its next command. As long as the window remained active, he couldn’t move, only stand to attention, listen, and observe.

“This is insane!” Bob chuckled, perusing through the list of installed browsers on his machine. What if he tried Opera next? What if...?”

Charles began singing an aria from Verdi’s Rigoletto, his powerful voice echoing in the park like roaring thunder. It was a spectacle for the ages, one Bob regretted not recording when he had the chance.

Fear was reflected in his friend’s eyes when he touched the last icon on the screen. In hindsight, Bob should have realized what was coming but he only came to his senses when it was already too late.

When Microsoft Edge loaded on the screen, Charles vacantly dropped his shorts and began stroking, both hands alternating in holding the tumescent shaft and giving it a good wank. A group of middle-aged women arriving at the park stared awkwardly at the public display and pulled out their phones to share with the world just how low decency had fallen in today’s society. Multiple copies of the video went viral in a couple of minutes and Bob knew he had fucked up beyond all recognition.

Charles was arrested for indecent exposure and is currently pending bail. His act of hypnotic self-gratification will never be forgotten. The world keeps watching, with most people laughing at his humiliation and a few others lamenting that the videos never got a proper finish. Despite loving her husband more than anything, Patricia is one of the laughing ones, with new kinky thoughts lighting up her brain from the inside out with each passing hour. When he’s released from jail, the two are going on a Safari—or sixty-nine of them. They will all be glorious.

The End