Free Every Last Kiss, Final Copy, June 30, 2011 by Courtney Cole

not even her first love, Julius Caesar.
          “Where have you been, my love?” Antony casually asked, still keeping one arm loosely wrapped around her as he tossed his sword in the air with his other hand- catching it, flipping it and then tossing it again. I grimaced.  Only Antony would make a game out of playing catch with a deadly weapon. “Attending to important matters of state, I imagine.”
          “Oh, just here and there,” Cleopatra murmured and I had to cough to hide my snort.
          I couldn’t help it.  It was all so outrageous that it boggled my mind.  Everyone truly thought that we had been safely ensconced in the palace attending to the queen’s private matters, and I guess we had been, but in reality I had been two thousand years away from here.  I coughed again to hide my laughter.  It was an awkward character flaw of mine… I laugh when I’m nervous.  It was interesting to realize that I had always been that way.
          Hasani stared at me curiously and I found myself mesmerized by his dark gaze.  I wanted to rush to him and cling to him as Cleopatra had Antony, but due to convention, I could not.  We couldn’t show such affection in front of the queen- it just wasn’t done…not in the daylight hours.  It would be considered disrespectful.  I was sure that Cleopatra wouldn’t mind, but Antony and Hasani would both think I had lost my mind. 
          So, I consoled myself with looking at him.  As I stared at his face… at his deep, fathomless eyes, I pondered the fact that two thousand years after being with him, his eyes would still haunt me. Even though I hadn’t known who he was, my soul had apparently never forgotten him.  I wasn’t sure if I should be relieved by that or outraged at the injustice of it all.  But I didn’t have time to think about it further because Cleopatra distracted me.
          “Hasani, I am afraid I need to steal your commander.  Can you entertain Charmian in our absence?”
          She didn’t wait for his answer, but looked pointedly at me over her shoulder before taking Antony’s arm and retreating back toward the palace, leaving Hasani and I alone. Her eyes plainly said You’re welcome and I realized that she was purposely giving me the gift of alone-time with Hasani. 
          I impatiently waited until Cleopatra and Antony were halfway up the stone staircase before I threw myself in Hasani’s strong arms.
            He dropped his shield in surprise so that his strong, taut arms were free to wrap around me.  I didn’t care that his breastplate was hard and rough against my chest or that my feet were sinking in the watery sand… I just buried my face happily in his neck, breathing in his scent.  It was unique to him. Intoxicating. Addictive.  I would get drunk on it if I could.  If I could bottle it and take it back with me to Pasadena, I so would.
          “Hasani… I have missed you so much,” I sighed.
          I pressed myself even closer to him, to get as close as two people could possibly get. The tops of my thighs were pressed firmly against his as my arms tried to pull him even closer. But it just wasn’t close enough.  He must have sensed my desperation though, because he pulled away slightly, just enough that he could look at my face. 
          “Charmian, is everything alright?” 
          He was clearly alarmed, as though I might know something that he didn’t- something dire or dangerous.  Little did he know that was exactly the case, that his death was imminent and I might be the only thing standing between him and it. 
          “I’m fine, my love,” I lied.  “I’ve just missed you.”
          His handsome face creased into a grin as he pulled me close. I sighed as I realized his arms were as hard as steel.  Yep, modern girls were definitely missing out.  
          “You just saw me, very intimately I might add, this morning, my