Flora stops to chat.

Flora comes towards me and greets me with a happy wave and a cute smile. The wave combined with her tiny stature reminds me more of a teenager than a woman just turned thirty. Sometimes working as a doorman, you just can’t pick a person’s ages, especially Asian ladies. I had checked Flora's I.D. one of the first times I’d seen her and was blown away by how much she didn’t look her real age.

“Hey, Flora. I haven’t seen you in ages,” I say leaning down to give her a hug.

“Hey, yeah. I haven’t been out in so long. I just got back from visiting home actually,” she tells me as she comes to stand next to me at the front door.

Her friends are watching us talk and waiting for Flora to come inside. She notices them waiting and switches to her native tongue, waving them away. I have no idea what Flora says but the girls turn and head off into the venue, happy to leave Flora out the front with me.

Turns out Flora had only just got back into Australia that day and really didn’t feel like going out tonight at all but had been dragged into it by her girlfriends. Of course, the lure of dancing and drinks had meant they were just as happy to leave Flora talking to me.

Still, a tired Flora was a happy Flora. As I worked she stayed talking with me, telling me all about her time back in The Philippines. I learned much I didn’t know about Flora and was surprised to find out she had two children already but had separated from the Father a couple of years ago. This was how she’d originally come to my country and had stayed on after separating from her partner. She worked in office administration which sounded much like a secretary to me.

We talked so long that my shift was almost due to finish and she hadn’t gone inside The Loft at all. I sensed we had made a bit of a connection I’d been hoping for and felt confident in asking her, “I’m about to finish work. Did you want to get something to eat with me now?”

Happily, she agreed, “yeah that would be good.”

“Are you sure your friends won't mind you coming with me?”

“Yeah, that’s no problem. They know I can look after myself and that Ill be safe with you,” she informed me, happy to leave her friends to their enjoyment as she continued with her much more subdued night.

“Ok let me just get grab my jacket and get rid of my radio. I’ll meet you back here in a moment,” I organised with Flora.

No more than five minutes later I am bidding farewell to the guys I work with and walking off with Flora excited to be spending more time than I ever had before with her.

“Where would you like to eat,” I ask as the music from my work fades into the background.