Page 42 of If We Never Met

"But you did point that comment at me when I mentioned trying to find a balance."

"Guilty."

She ate for a moment, then said, "You told me the other night that you were terrified your career might be over. What would you do if you couldn't pitch?"

"I don't allow myself to think about it."

"Never?"

"Nope. I have one focus, and that's getting back to the mound. It's not balanced. It's all in."

If he couldn't pitch again, he was headed for a huge fall. "I'm a little scared for you. But I'm also really impressed."

"Why would you be impressed?"

"Because your level of commitment is huge."

"Baseball is all I've ever committed to."

"You've had tremendous success with it, so your commitment worked."

"Until my arm decided to go its own way."

"I really hope you get back to pitching, Dante. I'm rooting for you."

"Thank you. By the way, no one else knows how scared I am about my future."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't share that."

"You told me."

"And for the life of me, I don't know why. But when we talk, I find myself telling you things I don't usually share. Nikki has never even once asked me about my family, my relationship with my father or my brothers."

She was surprised. "Really? It seems so ordinary to talk about family."

He shrugged. "Not in my world."

"Your world sounds a little superficial."

"It can be," he admitted. "I don't think I noticed until I came here."

The look in his eyes was unsettling. She took a long sip of her wine. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I've shared a lot of personal information with you, too."

"You have, but I am curious about something, since we're going deep tonight."

"What's that?"

"What was it like giving up your design career?"

"It was nothing like what you're going through. I wasn't established. I wasn't at the top of my game, like you are. I was working an entry-level job at a fashion house. I ran a lot of errands, and any designing was done after hours in the hope that one day someone would give me a chance to show my designs. But that didn't happen."

"Still, you were pursuing your dream."

"It was a dream to be living in New York," she agreed. "The long hours, the nothing pay, the crappy apartment that I shared with three other girls didn't matter. I loved the city, the excitement, the energy, and the possibilities. I loved being around the designers, the models, and watching clothes come to life. Fashion Week in New York was my favorite time of the year. But in reality, I was more of a spectator in the fashion world than a participant."

"Do you think you'll go back to New York?"

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