Taylor Lautner looked in to the rear-view mirror from the back of the car to check if his bowtie was still in the right place.
"Taylor, stop checking yourself out," his driver said.
"Shut up, James," he chuckled.
"Fancy event, huh?"
"Yeah, it's a charity gala." Taylor looked out the window and watched the city lights pass by. They would be there soon. But she wasn't going to be there, as she was probably trying to avoid him.
"Good thing you're showing up there. Might as well boost your image from time to time."
"Hm-hm."
"Girls like that, too. Guys who go to charity stuff."
"Yeah?" Taylor smiled.
"I'm not going for the girls, though. You know that."
"Right," James laughed.
Taylor smiled and checked his phone. He hadn't heard from her since he'd called her. It didn't matter. This night wasn't about seeing her. Maybe he would call her again tomorrow. No. That would be too much like stalking.
"We have arrived." James parked the car and looked over his shoulder.
"Do you want me to open the door for you, sir?" he said sarcastically.
"No, thank you," Taylor answered as seriously as he could manage. He opened the door himself and got out of the car. His security followed him.
There weren't that many paparazzi as there would be at a regular red carpet event. Somehow, they tended to be drawn more towards award shows than charity galas. Not sensational enough, maybe.
He smiled at the cameras as he walked by. It was more crowded behind the barriers closer to the red carpet.
"Taylor!" the photographers were trying to get a good photo of him. He gave them his best 'charity is cool'-look.
When he walked on, he saw some other people he recognised. All of them in tuxedos or long dresses.
"Taylor!" a photographer shouted again, further down the red carpet. He looked around, but they weren't looking for him. They had meant someone else.

She was in a long, black dress. Her hair was carefully put up, with a few blonde locks falling naturally around her face. She looked into the camera flashes, but she wasn't smiling. She put her hands on her waist and gave them a proud look. Then, she turned away from the cameras, walking on towards the end of the carpet.
Taylor caught himself staring at her as she walked away, unable to move. His eyes were fixed on her as she smiled at some other people she knew, the cameras still relentlessly flashing.
"Taylor," his bodyguard whispered in his ear. He softly pushed Taylor forward. The touch brought him back to reality. He blinked a few times.
"Yes," he said, his voice still quite steady. He walked on, his mind in a whole different place. Why was she here? Had she changed her mind?
Then he realised that she'd never said that she wouldn't come. He'd just assumed that when she said she probably wouldn't make it. He'd known it was just an excuse when she'd said she had rehearsals planned, but he thought she would stay away because she didn't want to see him.
How self-centred. Of course she wouldn't refuse to go anywhere because of him. What did he expect? For her to turn her life upside down to avoid him? He really wasn't that important to her.
Somehow, he made it to the end of the red carpet without drawing too much attention to his confusion.

"You're in row M, seat 12," his bodyguard said.
"Okay," he replied automatically, and he followed the group of people who were just entering the room. Row M wasn't difficult to find. He sat down and looked around, trying to convince himself that he wasn't looking for anyone in particular.
She was standing a few rows away, talking to Selena Gomez. She was probably seated next to her, as she usually was. Then she suddenly looked at him. He would have looked away, but he couldn't, just like the day he'd seen her in the cafe. She didn't seem to have the same problem, as she swiftly looked away, talking to Selena again.
Stop being a such a staring idiot all the time, he told himself. She probably thinks you're crazy.
That's why she'd ended it in the first place. She'd said that he wanted something more serious than she did. She probably didn't want to get too attached. She wanted to be free.
Then, she hugged Selena and walked towards him, carefully avoiding his eyes.
He froze in his seat. Why did she make him so nervous?
She sat down next to him. Of course. Seat 13.
"Hi," she said casually.
"Hello," he replied. He decided to just ask.
"So you decided to come anyway?"
"Yeah," she said, "I figured it would be nice to... go to a charity event again. It's always nice."
"It is," he answered. "Hey, I'm really sorry about-"
Her angry look made him stop talking.
"Taylor! Not here." She looked the other way, and so did he, trying to look casual. There were probably photographers hidden behind every curtain.
"Sorry," he said under his breath. He wasn't sure if she'd heard him.
After a couple of silent minutes, she said something again.
"So how are things going with your new film?"
"Okay, I guess. I'm still talking with them, but it's almost certain."
"Good." She smiled at him. He loved to see her smile.
"How are rehearsals going?" He asked, because he didn't want her to stop talking.
Her eyes lit up.
"Quite well," she said, "I'm working on the different visuals right now, and coordinating with the dancers and stuff like that."
"Great!" He smiled. In a rash, he took her hand and started asking her another question-
But he was interrupted by the flash of a camera, breaking his train of thought.
She quickly pulled her hand away, but it was too late. The photographer walked away, obviously pleased.