What a way to make my grand return!  With an image prompt!  This is actually the beginning of something longer and may one day make it into a real book.  We’ll see how it goes.  Enjoy!

Oh, and don’t forget to check out all of the other fabulous Tuesday Tales!

From a distance, Justin Marshall watched the papparazzi swarm the poor man in the suit and sunglasses as he made his way from the private jet to the open limousine door.  He never expected to have a body double.  And he certainly never expected his band, Caged Rose, to make the big time.

It wasn’t that he wanted to hide from the press and the spotlight…quite the opposite.  But the band’s staff made it very clear that after the last kidnapping attempt he should steer clear of all dangerous situations.  And this – the simple act of getting off a plane and into a car – was dangerous in their eyes.

The man in the sunglasses was good, too.  From a distance Justin would’ve sworn he was looking at himself.  The photographers and would-be interviewers scurried along, completely unaware that the person they tailed was just some poor schmuck who needed quick cash.

Sure, Caged Rose made him a multi-millionaire almost overnight, but having been through three managers and eight personal assistants in the last two years really put a damper on his feelings toward the band.  It almost seemed more trouble than it was worth.  Justin never wanted the planes and limousines.  He never wanted the great fanfare.  He just wanted to play his music and share that part of his soul with others.

A cold wind blew over him from the tarmac and he pulled his coat tighter around his shoulders.  The kid got into the car, and as it pulled of Justin turned the lapels of his coat up and went back inside.  He’d take a taxi to the arena and hope things turned out well.  Paddy had him scheduled for a post-show massage, but what he really wanted wasn’t some easily bought masseuse… He wanted a friend.