This had to be the most ridiculously stupid bet she had ever engaged in. How the hell was she to know her ace high full house would be trumped by Riker's royal flush. The odds of him of all people having the only other ace in the deck, along with the rest of the cards that fell in line, were astronomical. No doubt, had she asked Data could have calculated it to the exact digit, and it would have been some obscenely high number.
She sat at her desk in sickbay shaking her head at what she had agreed to do, as his bet played back in her mind like a bad holorecording.
"How about we up the bet of the next hand if you're so confident, Doctor? An all or nothing sort of bet."She looked at her pile of chips, and his pile. "Will you have more to lose than I do.""Oh no, my wager isn't for something tangible like the chips. What I have in mind goes along a bet we started to make before, the one where the loser shaves.""I don't recall ever saying I would shave anything.""Quite right, Doctor you were going to dye your hair.""I think I'd rather shave.""Suit yourself, so do we have a bet?""You're on."
She could kick herself right now. They had played five card stud completely in the dark. Neither knew even their own cards until they were revealed. Data of course had played the dealer as he almost always did during their 'side bet' games. It insured no one would be stacking the deck, to best the others. Now here she sat with the dye Will had collected from Mot.
Green.
The dye was green.
Will couldn't be serious about her dying her hair green.
She allowed the vial to spin between her palms to warm it, as she thought.
The idea hit her like wildfire on dry leaves in a forest.
~-~
When she arrived on the Bridge to deliver her report personally to the Captain she did so with everything carefully under wraps.
As soon as Will's eyes met hers she gave him one of her teasing smirks. No doubt he wasn't too happy about the head wrap.
The raised brow of the man in the center seat though, who was in on this little act of revenge, caused her to laugh.
Will was to his feet and unveiled her head as flowing tresses of ginger hair cascaded over her shoulders. "You didn't…"
She tilted her head slightly and folded her arms. "Don't be so sure."
It was then the Captain rose from his seat, moved around to where Will stood and carefully whispered in his ear. "Thank you Number One for the rather unusual Christmas gift. I can assure you she did keep to the spirit of the bet." He winked at the younger man, "But that is something you will have to take my word on, as I am not generous enough to share my Christmas presents."
It wasn't long before the First Officer's face turned as red as Santa Claus's suit.
