The Chartreuse Butterfly

“A new butterfly exhibit can be found at the Museum of Nature and Science. The Chartreuse Butterfly is the most recent discovery in butterfly species by Dr. James T. Kreppin. This amazing creature is distinguished by the brilliant color of its wings, from which its name is derived. One of the exceptional characteristics of the Chartreuse Butterfly is the eyes, which can be a variety of shades from brown to black to blue and even green, much like the spectrum of eye colors among humans. Dr. Kreppin has been awarded many honors, including the Nobel Peace Prize, for his astonishing and inspiring work with this new species.”

That sounds interesting, Claudette thought as she read the article in her local paper. She had always had a fascination with butterflies. They were so beautiful and free. She loved how they changed from ugly little caterpillars into brilliantly colored butterflies. She found the idea of metamorphosis so appealing and intriguing.
She looked at the clock. It was ten am. She had just enough time to go to the exhibit before work at one that afternoon. She quickly hopped up from the little round table in her breakfast nook and sped to the bathroom to get ready. She quickly ran the blow dryer through her long honey brown locks, combing them with her fingers. Once her hair was dry she took some time to put on some eyeliner and lip gloss. That was really all she needed. Claudette was one of those women who would look beautiful even if they did nothing but step out of bed in the morning. She was tall and slender, with a glowing complexion and perfect proportions. She was very pretty, but in such a way that she wouldn’t have stood out among the throngs of other attractive women in the world, except for one thing. Claudette had one remarkable feature, and that was her eyes. They were the most beautiful shade of amber. Except for her mother, she had never seen anyone else with eyes that color, and she liked to accentuate them as much as she could. Thus, the eyeliner.
Quickly, she slipped into a dress so she would be ready to go straight to her job after the exhibit. She worked as a receptionist at an architectural firm downtown. She walked around her room, looking for the shoes that went perfectly with the golden brown of her dress. She owned a lot of clothing in that color—she had found it emphasized the unusual color of her eyes. Ah, there they are! She reached under the bed and snatched them out. Without looking in the mirror, she expertly twisted her hair up and pinned it with a little amber bejeweled hair clip. All ready, she thought with a satisfied nod. She grabbed her keys, purse and a light sweater and she was out the door.
It was a thankfully short drive from her apartment to the Museum of Nature and Science. She wanted to have plenty of time to look at the butterflies before she had to leave for work. Fortunately, work was just around the corner in the Shipley Building.
Inside, Claudette bypassed all the other interesting exhibits and went straight for the butterflies. She didn’t want to have to rush once she got to what she considered the main attraction. She was very excited about seeing the new species—the Chartreuse Butterfly. They sounded so beautiful and exotic. After stopping twice for clearer directions, she found the Butterfly Exhibit on the third floor. She paused briefly at a few of the other butterflies, but soon went straight to the new species.
There they were! Such a brilliant yellow green! She looked carefully through the glass. There were at least a dozen floating around the miniature habitat that had been set up for them. She wanted to see one up close and look at the eyes to see if they really had all the different eye colors like the article said. A small butterfly with delicate wings and a black fuzzy body settled on a branch close to the glass. She bent and looked closely, but was disappointed. From what she could see, its eyes were black and she could barely see them. Straightening in disappointment, she frowned.
“Is something wrong, miss?” said a deep voice at her shoulder. Startled, she gasped and turned.
“Oh! Um, no,” she blushed and looked down as she found a very handsome man standing next to her.
“Are you sure? You were frowning. Not the reaction I would expect to see at a display such as this,” he remarked with a smile in his voice.
“Well,” she began, “I was hoping to see the eye color—I read an article in the newspaper that said—“
“Ah, yes, the eyes. Here,” he put a hand on her back and guided her back to the exhibit. They watched for a moment until one landed nearby. “Look again,” he told her.
She stooped and looked closely at the little butterfly on the twig. This one had a golden torso and large wings. It eyes were like little blue sapphires.
“Amazing,” she breathed. She looked at the stranger who had helped her and smiled. “Thank you. I never knew there could be such variety in butterflies. I can’t believe how beautiful its eyes were!”
The man was looking at her intently and didn’t reply for a moment. “You’re welcome—forgive me for saying so, but…I couldn’t help but notice your eyes. They’re quite beautiful as well. I’ve never see that color before.”
“Special genes, I guess,” she laughed, feeling stupid. Special genes? More like special ed! She felt very, very warm. “Um, you have nice eyes too.” It was true. His eyes were a deep blue like the ocean. He was silent, still staring at her eyes like one mesmerized. It was making her feel a little lightheaded, having a good looking man admiring her so closely.
“Well, I should really get going,” she said after a minute, even though she really had plenty of time. But she lingered.
“Wait!” he said giving his head a little shake as one coming out of a daze. “I’m sorry for staring. I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable. I must confess, I was a bit lost in those bewitching eyes of yours. I was wondering. I know you don’t know me, but would you let me take you to dinner tonight?”
“I might if you’d tell me your name first,” she told him.
He looked slightly abashed. “Of course. It’s James. James Kreppin.” He offered his hand.
“I’m Claudette Munroe,” she said, taking his hand. “Wait—James Kreppin? Dr. James Kreppin? The James Kreppin that discovered the very butterflies we’re standing next to?”
“Yes, that’s me,” he said grinning. “I’m pleased that you like them.”
“Are you kidding? I love butterflies, and yours are some of the most interesting I have ever seen. I would love to go to dinner with you tonight,” she gushed.
James laughed aloud. “Well, I hope it’s not just for the sake of the butterflies. How about eight o’clock then? If you want we could come back here and I could show you my lab and my work afterward.”
“I would love that. Thank you—what an honor.” She quickly gave him her number and left.

Ordinarily she would have liked to have stayed longer with the butterflies, but since she was getting a personal tour with the Dr. James Kreppin later….she was too excited to hang around any longer. She hurried out of the building and, realizing she still had an hour before her job started, she dropped by a nearby deli for a sandwich first. She stood a few moments looking over the menu, trying to decide what to eat. Ham and cheese? Turkey on wheat? Maybe some soup. Her internal debate was interrupted by one of the employees leaving the morning shift.
“See ya later, Sam!” the girl said to the man behind the counter.
“See ya, Janie—oh, hey, you be careful going home. I don’t want my best employee snatched off the street by some crazy,” the man said half-seriously.
“Oh, Sam, I’ll be fine. You worry too much.” She put on a newsboy style cap and left with a final wave.
Sam turned his attention to Claudette. “Can I help you, miss?”
She had decided. “A ham and cheese with a small soup on the side, please.” She looked out the window while he got her order ready. She wondered where the doctor would take her for dinner. He was very handsome. She thought of his wavy brown hair, curling boyishly around the edges. It was so thick, she would love to run her fingers through it. Run my fingers through it? Get a hold of yourself, Claudette! You barely know the man.
“Here you go,” said Sam, handing her the food.
“Thanks!” She said as she counted out the amount from her purse and headed for the door.
“You’re welcome. You be careful too, miss. There’ve been some disappearances in the area, you know.”
“Oh. I hadn’t heard. Yes, I will be careful. But don’t worry, I’ve got pepper spray in my purse,” she said with a wink as she paused at the door.
“Good to hear,” he responded. “By the way, you have the most unusual eyes I’ve ever seen. Very pretty.”
“Well, thank you,” she said, nodding goodbye as she went through the door.
She walked briskly toward her building. She would eat at her desk. It was Saturday, and only a few people would be around. She only had to be there in case her boss needed her while he met with an important client from South Africa. As she walked she started thinking about her handsome doctor again. My handsome doctor? she thought. I’m really getting ahead of myself…but I don’t care! She liked how tall he was. It made her feel petite and feminine. Nice broad shoulders, too.
Too soon, she was at her desk. She still couldn’t believe he had asked her to dinner. Claudette barely tasted her lunch as she spent the entire time daydreaming about her date with James that night.

Later, after work was over, she went home to get ready. James had called and said he would meet her at Le Croque Monsieur at a quarter of eight. She was so excited—it was one of the nicest restaurants in town! She had never dated anyone who took her anywhere so nice before.
Even though she had already showered that day, she took another one. She felt like she wanted to look and feel fresh and beautiful. She took her time getting ready, instead of her usual short routine. She put on eye shadow, lipstick, mascara, the works. She was aiming to dazzle this gorgeous, intelligent man. Even though she had only spoken to him those brief moments, she felt they had a special connection. She didn’t want him to get away.
One last glance in the mirror told her that if he didn’t like her tonight, he wasn’t going to at all. She had never looked better and she knew it. She was wearing a wine red strapless dress, stiletto heels, and her mother’s diamond heirloom earrings. She had curled her hair so that it fell down her back in graceful waves. To finish it off, she held it back with a small butterfly pin. Here I go, she thought.
Soon she found herself seated at a table in the most romantic restaurant in town, with the most handsome man she had ever seen. He had been very gracious and polite, and she was sure that he was interested in her. He told her to order whatever she wanted and not to worry about the expense. Indeed, she couldn’t have even if she wanted to because it was the type of restaurant that didn’t list the prices. She ordered the duck l’orange, and he had the lobster. They both drank several glasses of wine and were laughing and talking like they had known each other for ages. She tried to ask him about the butterflies, but he insisted on saving it for when they got back to his lab so she could see firsthand what he was talking about. Instead, he changed the subject,
“Tell me about your parents,” he asked. “Do they live nearby?”
“Oh…no,” she sighed. “My parents are both gone. My mom died of cancer a few years ago, and my dad in a car accident not long after. He wasn’t the same man without her. Since then I’ve pretty much been on my own.”
“Sounds lonely,” he commented.
“Well, yeah, sometimes,” she admitted.
“I’m sorry,” he said, reaching for her hand. He took it and gently rubbed her fingers. She appreciated his compassion, but felt a little uncomfortable with the whole subject. As she was about to try to lighten things up with another topic, he lifted her chin with his fingertips so he could look right into her eyes.
“Maybe we can change that,” he said softly. She swallowed. She felt like every nerve in her body was electrified. She had never felt so, aware, before. He let go of her hand and leaned back, smiling. She lifted her hands to her cheeks to cover the blush she felt rising there.
“I…I’d like that,” she whispered. “Not being alone anymore.”
“I don’t want to presume too much, Claudette. But I can say with certainty that I hope you’ll be with me for a long, long time. I’ve never met anyone like you. You’re beautiful and smart…those eyes! You’re incredible. I hope I’m not moving too fast.”
“Maybe some people would think so…but…I feel the same way about you,” she said, beaming at him.
Soon they left the restaurant in a haze of romantic euphoria, holding hands. They took a cab to the Museum, which was where his lab was at the time. It was late and no one else was around. It was strange to walk through the museum when it was empty of people, so silent, like time was frozen. It had a sobering effect on Claudette. Dr. Kreppin’s lab was through a door in the wall by the Chartreuse Butterfly exhibit. As James unlocked the door, Claudette looked into the glass case where the butterflies usually were. It was empty. How strange, she thought.
“Where are the butterflies?” she asked.
“Here, I’ll show you,” he said, opening the door and leading her through.
“We keep them in individual cages at night. These particular butterflies need a certain amount of isolation. And they sleep at night, just like we do.”
“Wow. That’s so interesting.” She began to walk around looking at everything. First she walked up to one of the glass butterfly cages. It was labeled, “Mary.” She smiled at him.
“Oh, how cute—you named them!”
He grinned sheepishly at her.
Claudette turned and walked over to look at another part of the lab. Next to his desk was a mini fridge.
“Are you thirsty?” he asked her.
“Not really,” she answered.
“Are you sure? I have a special drink that I made in there. It’s pretty good—would you like to try it?”
“Well…if it’s something you made…I guess I could try it,” she agreed.
“Great!” He said enthusiastically. He walked over to the fridge and took out a key. There was a padlock on the door. He noticed her curiosity. “If I don’t keep it under lock and key, people would just come in and take it,” he explained.
“It’s that good, huh?”
“I think it’s pretty amazing,” he said as he reached in and pulled out a huge pitcher of some kind of yellow-green liquid.
“Hey, same color as the butterflies!” she commented.
He gave a little laugh and said a bit nervously, “They’re my inspiration….” He poured some into a clean beaker that was sitting by the sink.
If Claudette had realized what the chartreuse liquid was, I’m certain she would have left the vicinity as quickly as her long, perfectly tanned legs could carry her. But she didn’t, so she took a sip.
“Hey, that’s pretty good,” she told him.
“Have some more,” he said eagerly.
She took a long drink.
“I think I like that,” she said. She was feeling a little giddy and wondered if this was an alcoholic drink.
She looked at him slyly and said with a smirk, “You never mentioned there was a ‘special’ ingredient.
“Oh. Uh…you can tell?”
“I’m feeling a little tipsy…” she giggled in a sing song voice. She drained the last of the beaker. “That’s really quite good. Sort of a lime banana flavor. More?” She tried to hand the beaker to him, but couldn’t quite seem to get it in his hand. Why does he have three hands? She wondered. Which one do I put the glass in? She felt rather silly. She took a step.
“James…I’m feeling a little strange.”
And then she collapsed.

Sam stood in front of the huge butterfly display with his hands pressed against the glass. The exhibit had been out for a few weeks now, ad he had finally decided to get out of the deli to come and see it. He bent down and looked closely at a pretty little butterfly that had landed close to where he stood. It had a brown body and, of course, those brilliantly colored chartreuse wings. He squinted at it. He had heard about the unusual eye colors. This one had a color that was unusual for butterflies and humans. It reminded him of a customer that came into his shop from time to time.
It’s eye was like a tiny jewel, the color of…amber.