actually i thought id made it awkward for you . in the blink of an eye , he was gone . `` yet sometimes it 's your personal life that wears you down , '' the other man said , laughing despite the circumstances . her breath trembled out this time . you would n't meet a lover there , no matter who he was . claw marks , she thought with a shiver . just what that expression might be she did n't know . behind him , i saw several faces poking out around the corner , watching . 