[h2]Esme[/h2]
 As she came out, Esme didn’t pay too much attention to the girls on the couch with the boys; her focus was on Dean, so much so that she missed Duke reaching for her as Dean sat down his plate, stepped up to her, and took her hand. At Duke’s reply to her comment about him drinking, she gave a small laugh. “Only three? Well, that’s a relief.” she teased. Her attention went back to Dean as he spoke about getting her things paid for and that Bobby had picked up their tuxes from the cleaners. She nodded as Duke spoke up about not having a tux and couldn’t help but grin at Dean’s answer. “Dean’s right. You don’t ask questions about the things Bobby picks up.” she said with a light smile, then followed Dean as he pulled her with him. As they walked to the front, she noticed how Duke lingered behind. She had a sneaking suspicion she knew what he was up to, but she said nothing about it, not wanting to draw attention to him and getting all of them kicked out of the store without what they came for. So, Esme turned her attention back to the lady behind the counter as Dean paid for her things.

Once everything was paid for, Esme took Dean’s hand, interlocking her fingers with his, then turned to Duke with Dean, who was still running his fingers over the more expensive jewelry. “Yeah, Duke. We’re in a time crunch here.” she commented after Dean spoke to Duke. She watched Duke tip his hat to the woman behind the counter before joining them. “Thank you for all your help.” she told the woman warmly, then walked out of the store with Dean. 


[h3]Back At The House[/h3]
While Dean and Duke were downstairs getting ready, Esme was up in the guest room, getting herself ready for the night. She had hung her dress on the bathroom door with her heels underneath it after working a little magic on it to add her personal touch. After cleaning up and drying her hair, she went to work fixing herself up. She put a wave in her hair and pulled it slightly back into a half-up style, then went to work on her makeup: a little eyeliner, mascara, brown eyeshadow, blush, and a nude color on her lips. After a bit of tweaking her hair and makeup, she removed her towel and hung it on the shower, grabbed her dress off the hanger, then her heels, and walked over to the bed. Setting her heels at the foot of the bed, she unzipped the dress and stepped into it. She felt lucky the zipper was on the side and not the back. Pulling the dress on, she zipped it up and adjusted the top and the small sleeves that draped over her upper arms. Sitting on the bed, she put on her heels, stood up, and then walked to the large mirror Bobby had brought up for her. 

Esme stood in front of the mirror and smiled. “Damn, I look good.” she told herself. She turned slightly, watching the color shift of the dress, which she felt was one of the best features of the dress. The dress was an off-the-shoulder style and hugged her body. Its color was a mix of purple and teal that shifted in the light and had a golden trim along the top. For an added embellishment, Esme added an opal charm to the center of the bodice. As she fidgeted with the dress, she could hear the boys and Bobby talking downstairs, telling her they were nearly ready. Her suspicions were confirmed when Dean called up to her, asking how she was, telling her they were dressed, and then commenting about Duke. Esme laughed at the thought. “I’m good!” she called back to Dean. “I’ll be down in a minute!” Giving one final adjustment, she grabbed a small purple wristlet, slid it on her wrist, and walked to the door. Taking a breath, she opened the door and walked out, pulling the door mostly closed behind her, and walked to the stairs, smiling as she saw Dean in his tux. He looked absolutely gorgeous. 

Gathering the bottom of the dress in her left hand and placing her right on the banister, Esme slowly descended the stairs, not taking her eyes off Dean. She wouldn’t admit it to the boys or Bobby, but she had to admit to herself that she felt like a princess walking down the stairs to her prince. She also half wished that her father and Sassy could see her right now so that she could see the looks on their faces. Esme could hear what Sassy would say ringing in her mind. She’d tell her she looked stunning and to flaunt what she had but be careful while doing it. Her father, on the other hand, would have complained that it would draw too much unwanted attention and tell her she wasn’t going anywhere unless she found a different dress that wasn’t so tight. Thinking about it made her laugh inwardly. Esme stopped on the bottom step of the stairs so she could look Dean in the eyes and smiled warmly. “Don’t you look handsome.” she said just as warmly as her smile. Reaching a hand up, she smoothed a bit of stray hair in place and pecked his lips before turning to look at Duke. 

Esme looked him over before smiling at him. “Well, look at you, Mr. Oil Tycoon.” she told him. “I have to say, you clean up rather nicely, Cowboy.” Dean had done a great job helping Duke clean himself up for the party. In fact, Duke almost looked like a different guy to her, and she had to admit he looked really good, just as handsome as Dean. “Something tells me you’re going to have all the women falling all over you.” she smiled. Esme turned to Dean with the same smile. “As will you.” She then leaned in to whisper in his ear. “I’ll try not to get too jealous.” She laughed softly and kissed his cheek before pulling away and gently wiping away the lipstick from his cheek with her thumb. “Alright, are you two ready to go?” She then looked over at Bobby, and her smile grew. “Bobby, you look like a proud father sending his kids off to prom.” she laughed warmly. “You also look like you want to take a picture to remember the moment.” she half teased.