The Himbo Machine – Chapter Eight

Hey guys - after the last chapter, I couldn't resist starting on this one right away.  This is a little longer than a normal chapter – I hope you don't mind, but like I mentioned in the last chapters comments, I've compressed a few chapters together to speed up the pacing.  I hope you enjoy this!  Please let me know what you think over DMs or through the comments.

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We got to San Francisco and did a drive by of the address. It was a small storefront in the Castro. The sign above the window said “Golden City Day Spa”.

“I think we’re on a wild goose chase,” Eddie grumbled, staring out the window as I drove.

“What? You think it’s gonna say ‘Himbos R Us’?” I joked. “The lab’s probably in the back room or something. Let’s stake it out, see what we can find out.”

“Okay,” Eddie agreed. “But first... I booked us an AirBnB. I need a shower, and these clothes desperately need to get washed.”

“Yeah dude, you’re smelling rank,” Ollie laughed from the back.

“Hey, maybe if someone hadn’t left all our shit in Dayton,” Eddie shot back.

“At least I brought the stuff from your locker,” Ollie shrugged. “I gotta say bro, you looked hotter in gym gear. You gotta get comfortable showin’ off that bod.”

Eddie rolled his eyes and gave me directions to a small apartment building nearby. The key was in a lockbox – I was really glad we didn’t have to explain why three good looking guys were piling into a one bedroom rental.

I mean... it’s San Francisco. Nobody would mind.

It was a nice little place. There was a shower and laundry and a clunky old desktop computer.

“I’m gonna grab a shower,” Eddie said. “Strip down, I’ll toss our stuff in the wash.”

Ollie was naked before the end of the sentence. I took the more modest approach, choosing to wrap a towel around my waist.

“Oh pooh,” Ollie laughed. “Come on Grant, we’ve all seen your cock.”

By the time all three of us had showered, Eddie was messing around with the computer. He’d downloaded some sort of special web browser and had searched out a website for the spa.

“Check this out...” Eddie said, reading from the screen. “Doctor Robinson’s Happy Himbo Spa – headquartered in San Francisco, California. Do you have a man in your life who needs more muscle and less brainpower? Happy Himbo Spa can permanently transform a man into your himbo fantasy. To access our services, head to ‘Golden City Day Spa’ and use the secret phrase ‘Golden Boy’. Himbo transformations start at $50,000. Other custom transformations available on request.”

“Seriously?” I asked. “You can just find this shit online?”

“It’s on the dark web,” Eddie said. “It’s not like you can Google it.”

I was pulling clothes from the dryer when my hand landed on a shiny pink thong. That was odd... both Ollie and I were wearing jockstraps and Eddie... I hunted around in the pile... I couldn’t find Eddie’s boxers.

“Hey Eddie,” I said, waving the pink thong towards him. “This yours?”

“Uh yeah,” Eddie blushed.

“That’s a pretty big fashion choice for you,” I chuckled. My cock was going a little hard, just imagining him walking around in the scrap of shiny fabric. “I thought you weren’t into this kinda stuff?”

“Shut up,” Eddie snapped. “It’s from Grayson... he wouldn’t tell me the address til I put it on. Something about proving I ‘really wanted it’.”

“Uh huh,” Ollie said, rolling his eyes.

“It’s hella uncomfortable,” Eddie insisted as he grabbed them from me. “But it’s better than going commando.”

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We found a cafe across from the Golden City and took possession of a window table. After a couple hours the staff was starting to give us the evil eye – we were buying coffee, but it didn’t seem to be enough. Ordering a few sandwiches granted us a reprieve.

“Hey, check it out,” Eddie said, tapping me on the arm. “Someone’s coming out.”

“So we better get this party started,” Ollie sang, shimmying his shoulders. “What? Like a stakeout can’t be fun?”

“That’s not Robinson,” I said. We’d Googled up a few photos, and Robinson was your typical academic – middle aged, greying hair, a hunch from sitting at a desk all day. This guy was young, blond, and built. His powerful body was barely hidden by a pair of black slacks and a gold coloured golf shirt.

A second later the door swung open again and another young man stepped out. He was practically identical to the first.

“Well, at least we know it’s the right place,” Eddie said. “Those guys have major himbo energy.”

“Yeah,” Ollie said. “Look at their thick cakes...”

The two himbos were glancing around for threats like a couple of secret service agents.

The door swung open a third time. Paydirt. Robinson stepped out onto the sidewalk. He said something and both himbos chuckled in unison.

“What do you think?” I asked. “Are those his bodyguards or his entertainment?”

“Can’t they be both?” Eddie shrugged back.

Robinson turned and locked the door. The three of them turned and walked twenty or so yards up the street before entering an unobtrusive door. I thought I saw a flight of stairs inside.

“I guess he lives upstairs,” Eddie said. “Damn, I was hoping he’d live on the other side of town or something. I can’t imagine his alarm system calls the cops... but I wouldn’t mind a little longer response if we set it off.”

We waited a few more minutes before leaving the cafe, just to make sure Robinson was safely away. It was a short walk back to our AirBnB, and I didn’t want to plan a felony in public.

“It’s a break-and-enter situation,” Eddie said, once we were back at the apartment. “We’ll need to find a way in, then load up the van and hightail it out of Dodge before he knows we were there.”

“We’ll need to case the place,” I suggested. “Isn’t what they do in all those heist movies? Robinson doesn’t even know we exist... we can probably pose as a couple of buyers and get a good look at the layout.”

“Will he be open tomorrow?” Ollie asked. I thought he was zoned out and thinking about cock. Apparently he was listening.

“Why’s that?”

“Uh... tomorrow’s Christmas Eve,” Ollie pointed out. “Don’t some stores like... not stay open?”

I glanced at Grant. In all the chaos of the past couple weeks, I’d completely forgotten about Christmas coming up.

“Maybe that’s our way in,” I said. “If we can case the place tomorrow, it should be empty on Christmas. Even Robinson’s gotta take the day off, right?”

“It’s gonna be so cool when we own the machine...” Ollie rambled. “I want like... an unreasonably huge set of pecs.”

Eddie and I rolled our eyes together. Then Eddie yawned – it was still early, but it had been a rough few days. We were all eager for bed.

Ollie insisted on taking the couch. I told Eddie to take the bed while I made a little nest of blankets on the floor. I didn’t want to wake up spooning anyone.

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A little chime rang when we came through the door. There was a himbo behind the reception desk, a blond muscle bro packed into a golden gold shirt. He looked up attentively.

“Hello gentlemen,” he said with a relaxed smile. “Welcome to the Golden City Spa. Would you like a treatment?”

“Hi,” Eddie said, stepping close to the counter. “We’re looking for a Golden Boy.”

The receptionist grinned widely and and pressed a button on his desk phone.

“Of course,” he said. “Please, take a seat. Doctor Robinson will be with you shortly.”

It took about five minutes before the grey haired professor showed up. The receptionist nodded subtly in our direction and he approached.

“Hello,” he said, shaking Eddie’s hand. “My name’s Doctor Jeremy Robinson, and this is my spa.”

“I’m Luke, and this is my husband Hans,” I said, shaking Robinson’s hand. “We’re looking for a Golden Boy.”

“Of course,” Robinson said, giving me a sly wink. “Man of our customers prefer to use an alias. If you and Mr. Solo will follow me.”

He took us back through the building to his office. The spa looked pretty normal. There were massage tables, pedicure stations... it was pretty basic. A door at the back led into a sunny room – there were windows out to the alley that caught the daylight. Eddie pretended to stare out the window, no doubt thinking that might be our access point.

“Welcome,” he said. “To the Happy Himbo Spa.”

“I’ve heard you work miracles,” I said with an easy grin.

“Miracles? No, this is all science,” Robinson chuckled. “Why don’t you tell me what brings you here.”

“See honey, I told you it’s not magic,” Eddie said teasingly. The cover story idea had been his idea. “Uh... Luke and I have been married for a couple of years now. We have another guy – Kevin – living with us as a houseboy, but to tell you the truth, he’s a little too basic. Eager to please, yes, and he certainly likes my trustfund... but we're hoping for something more extreme... we thought the Happy Himbo Spa might help us.”

“Of course,” Robison said, smiling at the mention of a trust fund. “When you say extreme...”

“Well... he’s in college,” I said, remembering my own arrangement with Sam. “I’d like to see him drop out and devote himself to us full time. I’ve heard you can really dumb him down, refocus him so he’s all about sex and muscle and style... Of course, we’ll want him to keep doing chores, cooking and cleaning, that sort of thing, but we’d like him to live the life of a carefree himbo. Consider it our way of paying Kevin back for all the great sex we’ll have with him.”

“Ah, yes, that’s all possible,” Robinson said. “And more. Why don’t I give you the tour. Once you’ve seen us in action, I’m sure you’ll have even more ideas.”

Eddie and I agreed and followed him out of his office. He took us back into the spa, opening a door marked as a linen closet. Inside was a narrow stairwell that led down to the basement. We followed him down.

“We can only do one transformation at a time,” Robinson explained. “Today, we have a young man in the transformation chamber.”

The stairs led to a small room with chairs, like a waiting room. There was a tired looking man in his 50s sitting there, leafing through a magazine. Another gold shirted himbo stood nearby, ready for anything he might need.

“This is Mr. Smith,” Robinson said, clearly lying. “He’s one of our customers, and his subject is actually undergoing his transformation right now.”

“My son,” Smith volunteered. “He’s gonna be in the NFL. Wanted it all his life, and now with this... he can finally have the body to do it.”

“That’s right,” Robinson said agreeably. He walked over to a side table and poured a cup of steaming liquid. “Tea?”

I took one. Robinson might be evil, but his spa makes a mean green tea.

“Excuse me for the interruption Mr. Smith,” Robinson said. “Would you mind if I took these gentlemen inside and showed them the process? They’re considering a transformation of their own.”

“Oh yeah,” he said amicably. “No problem.”

We stepped through a door and into another room. There was a long white tube there with clear panels on top of it. A large console with a touchscreen was connected. I glanced through the glass panels and saw a young man inside the tube, maybe twenty or twenty-one years old. His eyes were closed, but his heavy muscles were twitching over and over, seemingly at random.

“This is Adam Smith,” Robinson said, pointing at the tube. “Last night he weighted a hundred and thirty-two pounds. By the close of business today, he’ll be a muscle bull – just over a hundred pounds of muscular growth in sixteen hours. He’s getting a custom transformation – this runs about eighty thousand dollars.”

There was a mirror on the wall. I imagined Adam climbing out of the tube and taking in his new physique for the first time. He’d feel like a god... and he wouldn’t be wrong.

“Amazing,” I said. I’d spent hours and hours in the gym every week. It was hard to imagine piling on all that mass by lying in a tube overnight.

“Have you considered physical augmentation for your houseboy? Adding twenty or thirty pounds of muscle can really change the way a man relates to the world.”

“I didn’t even know it was possible,” Eddie lied. “We were hoping he could become obsessed with working out and dieting, but this is even better.”

“It’s best if we do both,” Robinson smiled. “Like you can see with Adam, augmenting his physical appearance is no problem. Bodyfat, muscle mass, that sort of thing. Of course, if you want to change things like bone structure or face shape, you’ll want to do that surgically first.”

“Oh no, we’re very happy with his face,” Eddie said, making it up as he went along. “The biggest issue is his personality. Kevin’s a lovely young man, but he’s still just a young man. We’re hoping to turn him into a true submissive.”

“Very submissive,” I echoed. “We’d like him to be very satisfied when he serves us.”

“Almost anything is possible. Let’s take a look at Adam’s new programming,” Robinson suggested. He walked us over to the console and tapped on the screen to light it up. “As you can see we’re increasing his teamwork, his athletic skills, his goal driven behaviour... and of course his obedience towards his coach. All ideal for a young man who’s looking to join the NFL. Once the physical changes are complete, we’ll flash him with the new personality and he’ll be good to go.”

“After the physical changes?” Eddie said curiously. “Why not do it all at once?”

“Good question,” Robinson chuckled. “We need to add in new motor skills for the new body,” he said. “That means we have to wait until the body is fully grown. It’s a very short process actually... if you just needed Kevin’s personality updated, it would only take about five minutes.”

I was staring at the control panel as he spoke.

“I... uh, I can’t help but notice that Adam is also being programmed with an insatiable gay sex drive,” I said, pointing at one area of the screen.

“Yes,” Robinson chuckled again. “You’re certainly detail oriented, I don’t believe Mr. Smith noticed that when he consented to the procedure. Most of our programming is based around the sex drive as a reward system. But that’s not a problem for you, right? Your houseboy will be submissive and horny – what’s wrong with that? You’ll notice notice in those settings that we’re not wiping Adam’s original personality – if you’d like Kevin to be a blank slate, of course that’s an option too.”

“Really?” I said, interested. “The process is fine grained enough that you can just adjust his existing personality? Like... you could remove his inhibitions without turning him into a caricature of –“

“It’s all something to consider,” Eddie said, cutting me off. “So... what are our next steps?”

“Well, I’m afraid we’re quite busy. Our next available spot isn’t until February,” Robinson smiled sympathetically. “Of course, we’re closed for Christmas tomorrow. If you wanted to sneak Kevin in early... for an extra fee...”

“What do you think Hans?” I said, glancing at Eddie.

“I don’t know Luke,” he said with a chuckle. “I think we should take our time and really decide on the right set of changes.”

“Of course,” I agreed.

“Wonderful,” Robinson said. “I’ll reserve a spot in February. Someone from our scheduling team will reach out after the holiday.”

We shook hands and left. I took one last look at Adam in the tube, almost jealous of his fate.

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Eddie made us stop at a liquor store on the way home. He bought a bottle of red wine – not his usual drink, but I guess he felt like celebrating.

“How did it go?” Ollie asked, practically jumping us.

“Good, I think...” I said. “We should be able to break in tomorrow while everyone is opening presents.”

“Dude, that’s awesome,” Ollie said excitedly. “Do you wanna go over the details?”

“I don’t think there’s much to talk about,” Eddie shrugged. “I didn’t see any alarm panels or anything, and no wires hooked to the windows. I think it’s a ‘smash and grab’ kind of a plan. Not exactly the Oceans 11 scene I was worried about.”

“Oh...” Ollie said, looking a little sad. “I was hoping I could be Brad Pitt. Oh well.... do you guys wanna go dancing?”

I glanced at Eddie. He didn’t look like he was in the mood. I knew I’d just end up standing in the corner, pretending like I didn’t want to shake my ass.

“Come on...” Ollie whined, reading the looks on our faces. “I’m a wimpy kid from Ohio, and now I’m a hot stud in San Francisco... I wanna check out the scene!”

“I mean... I was hoping to talk about some personal stuff with Grant,” Eddie said cautiously. “I was gonna ask if you’d clear out for a few hours.”

“Fine,” Ollie said with a manic grin. “This city is full of hot guys, home for Christmas, and out for a drink to avoid their families. I’m gonna find myself a gay bar worth of Daddy issues.”

A few seconds later Ollie was out the door, ready to hunt down some dick.

“So... uh, what’s up?” I asked Eddie. “Is there something we need to talk about?”

Eddie just hunted around in the tiny apartment kitchen until he turned up a couple of glasses. He splashed wine into them and handed me one.

“There’s something I gotta admit,” Eddie said nervously. “It’s not something I’m really comfortable talking about but uh... Grayson brought it up the other night, and I’ve been having trouble getting it off my mind and... uh... fuck man...”

“Eddie, what’s up?” I said with concern. I put down my glass on the counter and looked straight into his eyes. “You can tell me anything.”

“Do you remember that joke you made in the locker room, back in Dayton?” Eddie asked with a worried look. “Where you said I was the straightest gay guy you know?”

“Yeah dude,” I said. “I’m sorry, I was just joking around.”

“Yeah...” Eddie said, chewing his lip. “Except, when I was talking to Grayson, he kept telling me I was acting like a straight boy, trying to be accepted...”

“That’s bullshit,” I said bluntly. “Eddie, bro, you’ve had your cock up my ass more times than I can count. You’re gay, there’s no question.”

“Yeah...” Eddie said. His eyebrows were knitted tightly together. “The thing is... he’s right. Do you remember all the guys I used to bring home, back when we were roommates? They were all ‘masc for masc’ kinda guys, you know?”

“Yeah, that’s your type,” I said, trying to make him feel better. “Nothing wrong with that.”

“It was like... as long as I fucked straight acting dudes... then I wasn’t *really* gay,” Eddie said quickly. Something was spilling out of him. “Yeah, for some guys, that’s just their type, but for me... bro, I never wanted to be gay. I never wanted to be some flamer, you know?”

“Eddie...” I said softly.

“But then I look at the party boys, and I want them, you know?” Eddie gushed. “Like... I wanna be them. They look so free. They look like they don’t give a shit about what the straight people think. But I never fucked a flamer... not til I fucked you... and I didn’t mind it so much...”

“Cause we’re friends,” I smiled.

“No way bro,” Eddie said sadly. “Cause you’re straight. Really, actually, at the end of the day.. you’re straight. Cause I finally get to fuck someone who looks like you... but I’m not really gay, cause you’re not really gay.”

“Eddie...” I said. “About that...”

“I know we had this whole plan,” Eddie said. “Get the machine, get the pills from Larkin. You be the himbo, I’ll own your ass... but... I don’t think I can use you like that bro. I can’t use you. Not so I don’t gotta deal with my own issues. I’ll help steal the machine, and we’ll get it to Larkin... but then you should stay with him. Sam and Tyler and you... you should have a big happy house.”

“Eddie, we don’t have to decide that right–“

“I lied to you about the thong,” Eddie interrupted me. “Grayson gave me the address first. I didn’t have to put this thing on to get the information. But then he just handed it to me and... I wanted it dude, I wanted to... in a moment of fantasy, I wanted to put it on. So I did. And you know what, I like it, okay! But then I made an excuse and I lied to you...”

“It’s okay,” I promised.

“I need to spend some time dealing with my own shit,” Eddie said, shaking his head. “Pushing my own boundaries. Not using you as a safety net, okay? Once we’ve got the machine, once I get you back home... I’m gonna stop hiding bro. I’m gonna try actually being gay.”

Eddie looked like he was going to throw up. I picked up my wine glass again and raised it.

“Here’s to you bro,” I said. “Here’s to bein’ whoever you wanna be.”

He looked down in his hand and found his forgotten wine glass. He raised it up and clinked it against mine, looking nervous as he did. He was being dramatic, like he was signing a deal with the devil.

“Okay...” he said, breathing out for the first time in a while. His shoulders dropped a couple of inches as the tension drained out of his back. “Okay, here’s to me.”

We both took a sip of our wine.

“I get it,” I said. “Wanting to act gay, feeling like you gotta act straight. I’ve gotta admit something too...”

Eddie looked at me with a blank stare.

“See dude... the pills have worn off, I’m sure of it. I feel clear headed. Intelligent... but I can’t stop thinking about cock.”

“Grant, I’m sure it’s just –“ Eddie started.

“Listen to me,” I insisted. “About the other night in Vegas, I lied too. It wasn’t just Ollie and Dallas learning to strip, I was up there too, shaking my ass and loving every second of it.”

“It’s just the pills,” Eddie said, shaking his head in denial. “And besides, lots of straight guys like to dance.”

“No,” I said. “I know what the pills feel like, and this is... different. I haven’t felt straight for a while now.”

I put my wine down on the counter again and leaned forward, kissing Eddie with deep conviction. For the first second he was surprised and tense, but then he melted into it with me, keeping the kiss going for as long as he could.

Finally I pulled back. Eddie’s eyes were wide with surprise and excitement.

“You’re gay?” he asked.

“I dunno,” I said, giving what I hoped was a cute little shrug. “But I’m sure not straight anymore.”

This time Eddie leaned in and kissed me. We stayed like that for a few minutes, making out like it was our first time.

“I want your cock,” I said, pulling away and glancing at Eddie’s bulge. “But it’s not just that. Playing husbands today... Eddie, I wanna be your boyfriend.”

“For real?” Eddie asked hopefully. “Are you sure? It’s not like... I can’t just flip a switch and make all my internalized bullshit go away... I’ve got a lot of stuff to work out and –“

I kissed him again. Sometimes you just need to stop talking.

“We’ll work it out,” I promised. “Together.”

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I guided Eddie towards the bed, sitting down on the edge and waiting for him to land next to me. The sheets were a soft cotton, the colour of red wine. I was wearing lime green rugby shorts and a black tanktop. Eddie was in jeans and a black t-shirt. He looked so handsome, all nervous and vulnerable.

He really did look straight next to me.

We kissed for a while, getting used to the idea of being intimate. Real intimacy, not the frenzied sex we’d had before, but a slow and cautious exploration of each other. It was almost ten minutes before I stripped off my tank. Eddie kissed me again, running one hand down my torso while he lingered on my lips.

“I’m gonna take off your shirt now,” I told him, reaching down and tugging the fabric up and over his head. He held his arms up, making it easier for me to strip it off. Then another kiss. I let my hands wander over his traps and then down his thick arms. Eddie’s not cut like me, but he’s got a beefy body that drives me wild.

“You still wanna bottom?” Eddie asked, staring down at the outline of my cock.

“Yeah,” I grinned. “I mean... so long as you wanna top.”

“Yeah,” he said, looking a little relieved. “I’ve never uh.... I’ve...”

“It’s cool,” I smiled. “But for real, you gotta try bottoming sometime. Maybe it’s your thing, maybe it’s not... but it’s worth a try.”

“Yeah,” Eddie agreed, shifting on the bed. “I’m gonna take off my jeans.”

He dropped his jeans beside the bed. My boyfriend was standing there bashfully, his thick body stuffed into a tiny pink thong.

“You look so hot,” I growled.

“I look like I’m faking it...” Eddie winced.

“Ssshhh...” I calmed him, taking his hand and guiding him back down to me. “It’s just you and me here. Nobody’s judging you, okay?”

“I’m judging me,” he said, resting his forehead on my shoulder. “I look like I’m wearing a costume.”

“Yeah...” I agreed with a happy shrug. “Everything’s a costume. If you really hate this one, that’s fine, we’ll find you some happy face boxers. But I gotta tell you... I think you look really fuckin’ hot.”

Eddie stared down at the thong, rubbing his thumb along the shiny material.

“I guess... I mean, I’ve been wearing them them all day,” Eddie said. “It felt kinda cool actually... like I had a slutty little secret.”

“Yeah?”

Eddie kissed me again. He took one of my hands and let it down to his thong, putting my palm against his bulge. I rubbed gently, watching his cock get hard. The tiny pouch stretched away from his body.

“You’re hot Eddie,” I moaned, nibbling down his neck. “But let’s take it off now... I wanna suck your cock.”

The thong landed next to his jeans. I got on my knees and took his cock in my mouth. While I worked on his cock, I slid my shorts and my jockstrap down, leaving us both totally naked.

“I like those shorts,” Eddie moaned. I was taking his whole cock down my throat. He’s only about six inches long, but he’s thick.

“Then you can borrow ‘em,” I said, coming up for air.

“I meant I like ‘em on you...” Eddie chuckled. “Though maybe I’ll borrow ‘em sometime...” he fantasized. “When we’re alone.”

“That’d be hot,” I grinned, climbing up onto the bed. Eddie motioned for me to flip over, but instead I lowered myself onto his cock, our chests pressing together. It took all of my muscle to control the motion, but I started to fuck myself on Eddie’s cock. He braced himself, his hands gripping the bed behind him. I rested my hands on his shoulders, grinning at the blissful look on his face.

“Uhhh...” he moaned as I thrust myself onto his cock. He couldn’t talk... didn’t need to talk... we both knew exactly what we needed.

Eventually I was bouncing on his cock at full speed. We were both sweaty and shaky, on the very edge of orgasm.

“I’m gonna...” I moaned. “I’m gonna cum on you.”

I shot my load, hitting him on the cheek with a spurt of hot cum. I guess he liked that, cause a second later his cock was firing off inside of me, pumping me full.

And then we were on the bed, his shorter frame nestled in my arms. I think we fell asleep.

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I was half awake when Eddie started talking again.

“Hey you know... we don’t even need to steal the machine,” he suggested, rolling to face me. “We could just give Sam a call... let him know where it’s at. If you don’t need the pills, this is his problem. We could just ride off into the sunset.”

“Yeah... but I want the machine,” I said, hoping he’d understand. “I mean, I want the pills. I’m just like you Eddie... I’ve got my hangups too. And when I’m on the pills, they just... they sort of don’t matter anymore. I wanna feel that way again.”

“Breaking in is risky,” Eddie said, placing a hand on my chest. “I didn’t see an alarm at the spa but... there’s no guarantee.”

“Yeah, it’s risky,” I said. “But it’s for the life I wanna live.”

“Okay,” Eddie said, placing his hand on my chest, feeling my heartbeat. “Then let’s do it, let’s take the risk... boyfriend.”

I grinned every time he used the word.

“It’ll be fun,” I pointed out. “And if Robinson transforms us into a couple slutty muscle whores... at least we’ll be together.”

“Yeah...” Eddie sighed. “Okay, let’s do it. Let’s do it right now. I wanna get this over with.”

“Should we call Ollie?”

“Nah,” Eddie chuckled. “He’s having the best night of his life.”

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We parked in the back alley behind the spa. I broke a window, listened for an alarm, and heard nothing. After a few seconds I reached through the gap and found the deadbolt for the back door.

That was it. We were inside. Anti-climactic? Sure, but this story isn’t really about a break-in.

We walked through the darkened business, trying not to use our flashlights while we were in sight of the windows. I was worried some passing patrol car would see us and our whole plan would be ruined.

We got to the linen closet undetected, then through the first door. The light was still on down there.

“This isn’t right,” Eddie said softly. “Why is the light still on?”

“He charges fifty grand per himbo,” I shrugged. “Maybe he doesn’t care about the electric bill.”

“I thought I heard something,” Eddie said. He was nervous, I get that. We stopped and listened, but I couldn’t hear anything.

The waiting room was empty, a pile of football magazines stacked on the side table – something for Mr. Smith to dream about while Adam went through his procedure. Everything was tidy, ready for business on the 26th.

Robinson was gonna be surprised when he came to work.

“We’re probably gonna have to take it apart,” I said. “I’m not sure it’ll fit through that door.”

“If he got it down here, there’s a way to get it back up,” Eddie said condescendingly, walking into the next room. “Whoa!”

I turned the corner and saw Doctor Robinson looking startled. The academic was dressed in a t-shirt and pyjama pants, like he’d just been woken up. I saw a glint of metal in his hand and I jumped backwards. Fucker had a gun.

“Stay right there,” Robinson was saying. I caught sight of Eddie through the door, standing with his hands raised up. “You... whatever your name is... come on out or I’m gonna shoot your buddy.”

I bit my lip. I couldn’t let that happen – Eddie was only caught up in this because of me. Besides... he was my boyfriend now.

I raised my hands and stepped through the doorway.

“So,” Robinson said, giving me a weary frown. “You’re the ones that Larkin sent. This place is burnt then... Ollie said you weren’t coming until tomorrow.”

Fuckin’ Ollie.

“Uh... actually we haven’t told Larkin yet,” I said, keeping my hands in the air. Ollie probably told him everything, so I figured honesty might be the best policy. “We were gonna steal the machine and take it back to him.”

“I don’t believe you,” Robinson said, glancing back and forth between our faces. “You probably called him as soon as you found out. He’s on his way here right now.”

“Look, dude...” Eddie said.

“SHUT UP!” Robinson snapped. “Let’s game this out. If you’re lying, then Sam is on his way, and I’m in trouble. If you’re telling the truth, then maybe I could keep operating here for a little while longer, but I’ll have to move along eventually... I always do. There’s no downside moving right now.”

“Okay, sure,” Eddie agreed, keeping Robinson talking. “That’s smart.”

He was thinking the same thing I was. Robinson might be a genius, but he was also major league paranoid.

“Yeah... I’ll find somewhere new,” Robinson repeated to himself. “Of course, either way... you two can’t be allowed to escape. If you found me once, you can do it again.”

“Are you gonna shoot us?” Eddie asked. His voice was shaking.

“Nothing like that,” Robinson grinned, suddenly back in control. “You know what we do here... after all, I gave you the tour."

I stared at the plastic and glass tube in front of us.

“Oh, and this time, we’re definitely doing a clean wipe,” Robinson said, glancing at the control panel. “You’re both going to be blank slates... don’t worry, you’ll get by easily enough. Whores are always in demand.”

I felt someone grab me from behind. I twisted and saw that Eddie was caught too – a pair of himbos were holding him tight. The guy on my left was a himbo too, but Ollie was to my right.

“Hey Grant,” he said playfully. “Sorry, I know I said I was gonna go clubbing but... well, I had my orders bro. Gotta deliver you to the Doc for interrogation.”

Robinson walked over with a syringe. He tapped the bubbles out of it and injected something into Eddie’s shoulder.

“That’s a little gift from your friend Larkin,” he chuckled. “It’s step one if you want to rewrite a man.”

Eddie’s eyes were out of focus. He was swaying slightly, like he might fall down. He looked listless and confused. I felt my back tense up, worried about what would come next.

“Come on now,” Robinson said, guiding my drugged out boyfriend to the Himbo Machine. First he tugged off Eddie’s clothes, leaving him in nothing but the pink thong. He glanced at Ollie and raised an eyebrow.

“It’s a new thing,” Ollie shrugged. “Whatever, it’ll look good on the himbo version too.”

Robinson helped Eddie inside the machine, strapping him down and connecting a set of wires to his head. I strained against the men holding me, but their grips were like steel.

He slid some sort of panel over Eddie’s eyes and close the tube.

“Ollie, you know these guys a bit, right?” Robinson said. “Tell me about him. I like to know the raw material.”

“Oh... he’s like... no fun,” Ollie sighed behind me. “Like... he’s gay, but he’s such a fuckin’ prude. Thinks he’s better than me just cause he won’t dance, y’know?”

“I know the type,” Robinson chuckled, staring down at the control panel. “Don’t worry, we’ll fix that. Let’s start with a wipe... then the basic himbo template. But let’s add in some extra attention seeking... yeah, he’s really going to crave that. And we’ll make him a total narcissist.”

“Oh my god, that’s like... totally hotter,” Ollie agreed.

“That’s right,” Robinson nodded, paying close attention to the console. “A slutty stud who needs to get noticed. Dumb enough that his cock will do all the thinking, of course... but buff enough that no-one will care...”

“Stop it,” I snapped. “He’s not like that.”

“He will be. Your friend is going to be one hot piece of ass. He’ll sell no problem.”

“He’s not for sale,” I protested.

“Of course he is,” Robinson said with another sadistic chuckle. “You’re in my house now boy... you’ll play by my rules.”

He pressed a big red button on the top of the console and the machine started to make a noise like a washing machine getting started. I saw tubes start to fill up with a glowing liquid, no doubt travelling straight into Eddie’s body. I could picture him inside the tube, twitching as his body was distorted into someone new.

“You see... I’m sorry, what was your real name?” he asked.

“Grant.”

“I’m sorry Grant,” he smiled again. “I need to make a clean break, that means I need cash to setup a new location. And there’s always a market for dumb muscle boys with an insatiable sex drive. You and your friend are going to finance my relocation.”

“You really suck,” I spat.

“What a good note,” Robinson grinned. “Now... this is going to take hours, so I’m off to bed. Ollie, why don’t you stay here with Grant and make sure that everything is okay. Make sure that his friend is reprogrammed – that’s an order.”

“Yes sir,” Ollie intoned. He was a slave to his programming. I should never have trusted him, not for a second.

Robinson had me handcuffed to a chair, then he left, taking his three himbos with him. Ollie leaned against the wall near the machine, yawning like this was the most boring task he could imagine.

“Ollie, dude... you gotta stop this,” I begged. “C’mon, you know Eddie, you know he doesn’t mean any harm.”

“Relax bro,” Ollie shrugged. “Soon you won’t care. This feels soooo good, okay? You’re gonna feel so good, and he’s gonna feel so good, and you won’t have to pretend like you’re straight around your buddy anymore.”

“I’m not pretending to be straight,” I said tensely. “Not anymore. Eddie’s my boyfriend.”

“Uh... what?” Ollie said, glancing at me with surprise. “When did this happen?”

“Just tonight. After you left... it’s what he wanted to talk about. And well... we decided to give it a try.”

“For real?”

“Yeah,” I said. “It just happened tonight... so this timing really fucking sucks, okay? I shouldn’t have spent so long denying it... I think I kinda love him...”

Ollie gave me a sad look. He stood up straight and glanced down at the control panel. He gave it a few short taps.

“Six and a half hours,” Ollie said with a shrug. “I’m sorry bro, Doc Robinson told me to make sure Eddie gets reprogrammed. I gotta follow orders.”

------------------------------

Robinson didn’t return until the morning. The machine had been churning for hours. Ollie and I had long since lapsed into tense silence.

“Did I miss it?” Robinson asked, poking his head into the room. He looked well rested and chipper, like it was his first day back after a vacation.

Ollie shook his head and glanced at the control panel.

“Nope,” he grinned, newly energized by Robinson’s presence. “Six minutes on the clock.”

“Excellent,” Robinson said. “Grant, you’re going to enjoy this. The personality re-write is about to start.”

The tube lit up with a red light, the strobing pattern reaching out and coating the walls of the room.

“There it goes,” Robinson laughed. “The new personality is installing as we speak. Your friend is going to be really fun to have around. Slutty, narcissistic, dumb as hell... exactly my type.”

“You're an asshole,” I spat. I knew it wouldn’t change anything, but maybe he’d feel bad for half a moment. I wanted him to hate himself as much as I hated him.

“Three...” Ollie said, staring at the control panel. “Two.... One.... and...”

The machine let out a cheerful chime, like a microwave or a laundry machine.

“Open it up,” Robinson ordered, giving me a wide grin. He was watching the machine out of the corner of his eye, but mostly he wanted to see my reaction.

The tube hissed open. A musky smell flowed through the room. Ollie reached inside and released a few straps, allowing Eddie to sit up. I barely recognized him.

Eddie had always been beefy. The kind of college bro who never cared about the calories he ate or how often he went to the gym. It worked on him.

When he sat up, I saw that his beefy body had transformed into beefcake. His body fat was under ten percent for sure, maybe under seven. He hadn’t lost any size – on the contrary, his chest was even wider than it had been before, and his delts had swollen until they looked like cantaloupes. Shirts were going to be a problem.

He swung himself out of the tube with the coordination of a gymnast. Eddie’s always been on the short side and it only made him look buffer now. His waist was tight, a six pack leading to an adonis belt. His ass had blown up, two muscular globes that swallowed the string of his thong. His cock was tight inside the pouch, straining to get out.

I’m not going to describe every muscle because that would take us hours. Eddie was a statue of a man now. Magnificent. I could feel myself salivating.

“Like... wow!” Eddie laughed, his voice pitched higher than normal. I wondered if Eddie had been faking the deep ‘bro’ voice he usually used, or if his new nasally voice was the affectation. "That was like... amazing! You gotta try it babe!”

He stared at me with excited eyes. My stomach lurched and my head spun.

“It’s like... all that shit we talked about...” Eddie giggled. “It’s just gone now!”

Holy shit, he was gone, my boyfriend replaced by this idiot muscle boy. I wondered if this was how Eddie had felt when I took the first pill. Then the second...

No wonder he tried to stop me. I felt terrible, seeing my boyfriend washed away like sidewalk chalk after rain. I barely recognized the person in front of me. I wasn’t even sure if he counted as a person anymore.

I wanted to vomit.

I wanted to run.

I wanted to be just like him.

“Look at that...” Robinson said, watching a thousand expressions flash over my face. “Somebody likes what he sees, don’t you?”

“Grant wants to be a himbo,” Ollie supplied. “And sometimes he is... but he's an asshole and won’t admit it.”

“Well don’t worry Grant,” Robinson grinned, rubbing his hand over Eddie’s biceps appreciatively. “You’re next! Why don’t you volunteer... we can pick your settings together. You know, you’ve got the bone structure for a nice wide back... big pecs... you could have that classic V look if you want...”

“Oh my god, you’d look like... soooo hot like that!” Eddie clapped. “And like... this machine is total magic babe. Don’t resist okay? There’s nothin’ to worry about...”

“I don’t wanna,” I said, shaking my head. “Maybe I can’t stop you, but I’m not going to help.”

“C’mon... give it a try and we’ll go dancing after...” Eddie whined. “Just a couple hot sluts... a couple of total knock-outs...”

He rubbed his cock through the thong hungrily, losing his train of thought as he pictured us on the dance floor. Just two horny himbos, grinding our way through the night. I had to admit, the mental image drove me nuts too, but the terror balanced me out.

“Yeah...” Eddie said, staring me in the eye. “Let’s take Ollie too... get that Charlie’s Angels vibe, huh? I bet the three of us could kick some ass, huh boyfriend?”

“I’d be up for that,” Ollie chuckled. “Himbos like us are like... so hot... we’ll hit on a guy, he won’t even know what hit him!”

“You got it,” Eddie laughed, sticking out his tongue and giving me a slutty wink.

My heart sank. Eddie was gone, at least the Eddie I’d fallen for. What was the point of fighting anymore? I felt like a total piece of shit, letting this happen... why not just let Robinson take my mind and wipe it clean. At least that would hurt less.

I thought about Sam. He’d thrown me to the wolves, used me to get what he wanted. The bastard. There was nothing for me back there. Not with Eddie gone.

“Alright Grant, you’ve heard the endorsements,” Robinson chuckled. “Now, tell me you’re a volunteer.”

“Fuck you,” I said. “I’m not gonna let you win. Eddie was my friend... he was my boyfriend, and he... he loved me. So fuck you, no, I won’t help you murder me too.”

“Fine by me,” Robinson shrugged. “But that was rude. Just for that, I’m going to make you totally boring. Just your average himbo – biceps and triceps and tight round pecs with a glassy eyed gaze... you won’t sell for as much, but fuck you, you’re going to be basic. Savour that thought... it’s the last one you’ll ever have. Boys, bring him.”

Ollie hurried over to me and released me from my bonds. With Eddie holding one arm and Ollie on the other, I didn’t have a chance of escaping. They walked me towards the doctor who was preparing a new injection. Another few seconds and I’d be a zoned out zombie, ready to be reprogrammed.

I struggled against them, but Eddie and Grant held me firmly.

“Just relax brah...” Eddie said softly. “This is just like... a moment of fantasy!”

“Just one moment...” Robinson said, tapping the needle to remove the air bubbles.

“Three...” Eddie said playfully. “Two.... One.... and...”

Eddie released me from his strong grip. I felt Ollie pulling me off to the side, throwing me out of the way. I turned and looked behind me just in time to see Eddie swinging his fist, landing a punch on Robinson’s jaw. Robinson stumbled backwards and fell to the floor. The syringe went clattering off to the other side of the room.

Rage spread across Robinson’s face. He reached for his belt, grabbing for his pistol. Eddie jumped on him, using all his new mass to pin down Robinson’s hands. Ollie dashed over, grabbing the pistol from it’s holster and levelling the sight on Robinson’s head.

“Put down the mmmhpph,” Robinson said, his order cut off as Eddie shoved his hand into the doctor’s mouth. Robinson was biting down, trying to make Eddie pull his hand back, but Eddie wouldn’t let go.

“Find something to gag him with,” Eddie shouted at me.

I looked around quickly but I didn’t see anything useful. Thinking quickly, I kicked off my trainers and pulled off a sock, balling it up. Then I whipped off my tanktop. With the sock jammed in his mouth and the tank tied around his head to secure it Robinson couldn’t speak.

The three of us dragged him over to the chair, securing him with the same handcuffs they’d used on me. He strained against the cuffs, but he was past his prime. If I hadn’t been able to get loose, there was no way he could.

Ollie tightened the gag anyway.

“Sorry doc,” Ollie shrugged, staring at his captured master. "Looks like somebody never got wiped. I made a little adjustment to your program. Don’t fuck with love, okay?”

He never got wiped. I turned to face Eddie, totally forgetting about the evil genius that we had bound and gagged.

“Eddie?” I asked fearfully. “Is that you?”

Eddie gave me a wide grin. He pulled me close and planted a firm kiss on my lips. Our nearly naked bodies ground into each other.

“You’re okay?” I choked, tears in my eyes.

“Relax boyfriend. I’m still me...” Eddie said, reaching down to squeeze my bulge through my shorts.

His hands wouldn’t stop roaming over my back or squeezing my ass. Eddie glanced in the mirror and saw his beefcake body. That only turned him on more.

“I’m still me...” he repeated, grinding his cock into mine. “Mostly...”