Butterflies fluttered up and down my stomach when I saw her, and I smiled expectantly her way.

Instead of seeing an answering warmth in those large brown eyes, however, I saw them sharpen almost to pinpricks as she lasered me with a piercing look.

She continued to stare me down as she ascended the short but broad staircase to reach the level where the VIP tables were.

Helena and Shane were flanking me and had exchanged puzzled looks. When Aerin got to within a few feet, Helena shouted out a friendly greeting and stepped towards Aerin, arms open. “Here’s our jet-setting girl, at last! Finally got your head squared away?”

Aerin gave her a small smile and they exchanged quick kisses. “’Sup beautiful?” Shane asked as they exchanged fist bumps. Aerin gave her a broader smile, but then turned to look at me again.

“Ba-a-by?” I asked as I stepped towards her.

She held me at arms length, however. “What the hell are you wearing?” she asked harshly.

I reared back, mouth dropped open. Wha-a-a-tt?

She spied a quick look over my shoulder, and I could see she was scanning the table when she realized my friends were at the table, including Annie, Katy, and Rachel.

Her eyes sharpened to pin-pricks for some reason, and I turned around to look at what had caused her to react that way. I saw Annie staring back at her with a cold smile.

I was about to ask Annie what that was about when I heard Helena and Shane remonstrate Aerin.

“Woah, Aerin! This is completely not like you! What’s going on with you?” Helena asked. “Why are you talking to Harley like that?”

“C’mon kimosabe, chill,” Shane said at almost the same time.

I whipped around in time to see Aerin give both of them sharp looks, and say coolly, “Stay out of this.”

And then in front of everyone she asked me a little bit more loudly, “You realize this is a lesbian bar, right?” Everyone in the vicinity fell quiet and turned to look at us. Helena and Shane looked at Aerin as if she’d just grown two heads. My friends behind us had gasped, in the meantime.

I swallowed and shut my eyes, trying to gather my cool.   I had no idea what had gotten into my love, but I could see, now that I was face to face with her, that there was a deep anxiety in the backs of her eyes. And while she put on a good show of being upset at something, and was trying to get a rise out of me with her out-of-character language and aggressive attitude, there was something else mixed into the sharp edges of her strange demeanor. Sadness. Nervousness. Love, even, especially when she looked longer at me, and let the veil slip from her eyes and allowed me to look into her heart.