All You Need Is Love

Gabrielle walked into the lobby of the hotel and sniffed at the familiar smell of the breakfasts, the bacon, the egg, toast and the marvellous coffee that they served here. She loved this time of the day when the hotel guests had just risen, when they were at their most relaxed and about to have their fill of the wonderful breakfast that was on offer. She loved calling out 'good morning' and 'enjoy the rest of your day' to the random guests that passed her by in the lobby. She adored being in this hotel. For the most part every one that was booked in here to stay was here to rest and have a good time and socialise and she, Gabrielle enjoyed being in the hub of it.

Gabrielle clipped her way across the marble floor of the foyer and entered a side door behind the reception area and placed her bag in a cupboard.

She noticed Beth was talking to a guest so she busied herself with some post that had arrived and once again tucked her stray tendril of hair behind her ear.

When Beth had finished she came towards Gabrielle and yawned slightly covering her hand over her mouth to mask it.

"You look tired Beth was it a busy night?" Gabrielle asked her friend of old.

"Not too bad Gabby but the old guy, Mr Johnson in room 248 was convinced he was in 238 and kept knocking on their door most of the night and I'm sorry to say that the guests in room 238 are that honeymooning couple. They aren't pleased Gabby so I've offered them a free lunch in the restaurant if they cared to stay on this morning for their inconvenience."

Gabrielle smiled. "You did the right thing Beth. We do get some very strange people here sometimes?" she said shaking her head.

"They're here," said Beth suddenly. "They're earlier than I thought they would be," she said glancing over at the three guys entering the hotel and pulling along bags and golf clubs. Gabrielle noticed Beth start fiddling with her hair for some reason.

"Who?" said Gabrielle glancing up from her paperwork.

"Oh Gabby what planet have you been on the past few months? Its those guys from Green Day that are staying here for a week. I mentioned them the other day, I thought you were going to go home and check them out, I did give you their CD to try," she said rolling her eyes at her friend.

"Oh yeah... I just forgot," said Gabrielle "I probably wouldn't like their stuff anyway," she said. Again her eyes were drawn to the tall guy, as he seemed to stand head and shoulders above the other two as they came towards the reception desk.

"Listen Beth, will you be OK just to check these guys in? I have a couple of things to do out the back," said Gabrielle.

"No problem," said Beth "I'll shout if I need you."

Gabrielle left the reception area and went to the office in the back; she could hear Beth speaking to one of the guys as she walked away.

"How can I help you sir?" said Beth in her best 'be friendly to the guest' approach even though she had been on a night shift all night and had been up all the previous night with her daughter who had been throwing up all over the place.

"Er.. we have three rooms booked," said the jet black spiky haired guy, "we've got the rooms for a week, my name's Armstrong," he said. "Billie Armstrong."

Beth knew very well who this guy was and her heart fluttered slightly with nerves but her professionalism took over and she just tapped his name into the computer. "Yes here you are sir, you are on the top floor in room 512, here's your key card," she said handing a small white credit card sized piece of plastic over to him "Is there anything I can get you at all? Would you like a wake up call or newspapers delivered to your room?" she smiled at him, his face so familiar to her, as she was a huge fan after all.

"Er," said black spiky hair scratching his head and screwing up his face.. "I think I'll skip the wake up call but... what time does the bar open here?" he asked.

Beth checked her watch. "Its only 9am and the bar doesn't open until midday but you'll find some drinks in your mini bar if you'd like to help yourself," said Beth.

"Nah," said spiky. "I can wait," and he took the key card from Beth "Thanks anyway," he said with a small smile.

"You're welcome Mr Armstrong and I hope you enjoy your stay," she said.

Gabrielle was checking some mail when Beth popped her head round the office door. "I could do with a hand out here Gabby, there's a queue starting to form," she said.

"Coming Beth," said Gabrielle putting down the mail and brushing down her skirt in her usual fashion.

She walked out front and up to the computer, turned to look up and he was there in front of her, the tall guy from earlier. She noticed that his eyes were of the sort of blue that were indescribable; they stood out brightly in his rugged face as he watched her.

"Can I help you sir?" said Gabrielle. He was sucking on a mint and Gabrielle could smell his breath as he spoke, it made her want to suck on a mint too and also made her aware that her breath probably wasn't as fresh as his right now.

"You sure can, I have a room booked in the name of Michael Pritchard," said the tall guy with a deep American accent. His voice started to make Gabrielle's heart beat just a little faster but she professionally ignored this and tapped his name into the computer. She was aware of him leaning his left arm on the counter and she fought the urge to look at his arm for some reason so made sure she kept her eyes fixed to the computer screen, she could smell an overwhelming scent of spicy lemons emanating from him.

Mike glanced at the girl behind the desk as he leant his arm on the surface of the reception desk. He had noticed her earlier as she had walked across the gravelled driveway. He took in her delicate hands as they tapped onto the keyboard and also noticed that she didn't wear a wedding ring. Suddenly he looked up as a glint from her silver necklace caught his eye, attached to it was a silver locket in the shape of an oval which was nestled neatly between her cleavage, the skin above her breasts were smooth and creamy coloured with a smattering of freckles..

"Did you say Pritchard?" said Gabrielle disturbing his thoughts. She didn't look up at him he noted. He had yet to see those eyes.

"Yes, Pritchard," said the guy with a deep American accent. His eyes wandered over to her name badge on her left pocket. GABRIELLE he read in the black letters embedded on a gold background.

Gabrielle frowned then. "I'm sorry but I don't seem to be able to find your booking," she said, still not looking up, this guy made her nervous for some reason and she could feel his eyes taking her in, she once again tucked the fallen hair back behind her ear.

Beth spoke then and as Gabrielle turned to Beth, she glanced quickly at the guy's forearm and noticed a few golden hairs twinkle from the lights from above; it was a very toned forearm and it looked like he had tattoos there...

"Try Dirnt," said Beth calling over. Beth was now serving the third of the threesome, a guy with browny-red hair that was fluffed up on top, like a cockerel.

"Dirnt," said Gabrielle turning back to her computer screen and tapping the name in.

"Yes, here you are Mr Dirnt, room 511, top floor. Here's your key card sir," she said holding it out to him.

As he took it she felt his warm thumb brush hers and as she looked up into those indescribable eyes, he smiled. "Thank you," he said.

"Is there anything else I can help you with?" asked Gabrielle starting to feel slightly flustered by this guy's presence. She brushed aside her fallen tendril of hair for the umpteenth time that day which exposed an earring, high up on her left ear, it was a brilliant green stone, an emerald and the guy noticed this.

"Actually that's a good match," said the guy suddenly nodding at Gabrielle's ear stud.

"Excuse me?" said Gabrielle, what on earth was he talking about.

"The earring, it's a good match to your eyes," said the Michael guy. "Did you do it on purpose?" he said.

"No it was unintentional," said Gabrielle. "I hadn't noticed the similarity myself," she said.

"Is it an emerald?" asked Michael.

"Yes," said Gabrielle putting her hand up to finger the stone, she twisted it nervously. "Yes it's an emerald, my favourite stone."

"Well then, you have emerald eyes also," said Mike. He noticed that she flushed slightly, embarrassed by his comments and he also noticed along her jaw line a fine purple scar, not an offensive scar at all but there was also another, smaller scar, just above her right eyebrow, Mike wondered how she had got them.

"Thanks," replied Gabrielle, not knowing what to say. "If you need anything at all," she said "please call down to reception, there'll be someone here at all times," she said reverting back to the usual polite manner that she had been taught in the hotel trade.

"I will do, thanks again," he said.

She watched the three guys gathering their luggage and head over to the elevator. Suddenly Gabrielle was aware that the lemony spicy smell had disappeared with him and she kind of missed it.

"You don't happen to have a mint do you Beth?" said Gabrielle turning to her friend as another guest approached their desk.

Mike and the guys stood in the elevator waiting for the doors to close giving Mike a moment to glance out at Gabrielle, who was busy at the desk now talking to someone else.

"Hey, why do you always go for the ice maidens?" said Tre, the cockerel-haired guy noting his friend watching the girl at the reception desk.

"Do I?" said Mike.

"Yeah, you do make things difficult for yourself, just look at Brittney, she's a bit of an ice maiden," said Tre. "Anyway, not like the other girl there, Beth I think her name is, I reckon she'd be up for it, know what I mean" said Tre rubbing at his crotch and smiling and checking his hair out in the elevator mirror at the same time.

"May be I do make things hard for myself," said Mike as the elevator doors closed shut but he certainly didn't want to think about Brittney right now.

Gabrielle had finished serving the guest and cast a quick eye over to the elevator doors just as they were closing on the guy with the blue eyes, lemony-spice smell and minty breath.

"I'll be going then," said Beth suddenly breaking into Gabrielle's thoughts. Beth gathered up her bag. "Paul will be in shortly to help you," she yawned.

"Help or hinder," smiled Gabrielle glancing across at Beth.

"Oh he's not that bad," said Beth, "he's young and eager to impress"

"Yeah, eager to impress that young waitress, what's her name? Lucy?" smiled Gabrielle thinking about Paul who had only been there a week.

"Yeah, he's definitely got his eye on her" said Beth checking her phone for any missed calls "Anyway Gabs how are you getting on without.. you know?"

"The medication?" said Gabrielle. "Fine. It's been two months now and so far... so good," she said. "I didn't think I'd be ever rid of them," she said.

"I knew you could do it... look we must have a night out soon," said Beth. "Now that I'm young, free and single... I need to mingle," she laughed.

"Yeah I need to catch up with you properly.. do you here from David at all?"

"We hardly speak. When he comes to get Lily he sits out front in the car and when he drops her off he waits in the car until she's safely inside," she said.

"I still blame myself," said Gabrielle.

"Well you shouldn't," said Beth. "How about we go out on Friday evening, head off to that new restaurant on the seafront? I'll see if Stuart wants to come with us, he's split up with Angela," she said.

"Beth how many women has he had this year? It's April and... well I've lost count," said Gabrielle.

Beth laughed. "You know Stu, trying to find the perfect partner and all that," she said.

"Is there such a thing?" said Gabrielle. "Anyway, yeah I can't remember the last time we got drunk and disorderly," she said. "I'd love to go out Friday."

The reception phone rang then and flashed up a room no. Room 512.

"Oh look it's Billie from Green Day calling," said Beth glancing over.

"Beth. He's Mr Armstrong to you," said Gabrielle.

"No, he's Billie to everyone," laughed Beth, "you are behind the times Gabby. Anyway, I've got to go before I fall down from tiredness, you'd better answer it, I shall see you tomorrow," and then she was gone.

"Good morning, reception, Gabrielle speaking, how can I help you?" she said into the phone glancing over at Paul who was sauntering over to the desk without a care in the world.

"Er.. yeah.. listen I'm in my room but the cards that you gave to my friends... they don't seem to work. They're here in my room now... would it be possible for someone to come up and let them into their rooms," said Billie Joe Armstrong.

"Of course Mr Armstrong, I must apologise, they couldn't have been activated properly, and someone will be up straightway,"

"Thanks" said Billie and was gone.

"Good morning Paul," said Gabrielle, reactivating two new key cards by swiping them on her computer "before you start could you take these key cards up to Mr Dirnt and Mr... ... " she checked the computer as she didn't catch the third guy's name "Cool" she frowned "... yes, Cool"

"No way" said Paul going bright red and starting to shake and fluster. "I can't face them... I can't," he said.

"Paul what is wrong?" said Gabrielle concerned.

"It's those guys from Green Day.. Please Ms. Turner... don't make me go up there, I'll probably pee my pants or something. Please," he begged.

"Paul.. its OK." She said putting her hand on his arm. "Calm yourself, they're normal guys, just in a well known band."

"No they're not normal, they're rock gods," he said.

"It's OK Paul, you stay here and I'll take the key cards up," she said. This was the last thing she wanted to do but she couldn't trust Paul with the job and they were VIP guests, being in a rock band and all... a rock band that she had never even heard of.

Gabrielle grabbed herself a mint from Beth's drawer, tucked her hair behind her ear once again and walked across to the elevator. She pressed the button with the 'up' arrow then smoothed down her skirt. The doors immediately pinged open, she got in and the elevator took her to the top floor where she knew that the Michael guy would be waiting.