"It's really cold. Actually, celebrating Christmas in Los Angeles wouldn't be bad, with a green Christmas, just like in Brazil."
In front of the apartment building, Richard stomped his feet and used his gloves to brush the snowflakes off of Mrs. Bond's fur hat.
"That's not right. A Christmas with snow is the authentic Christmas. Otherwise, how would Santa Claus pull his sleigh?"
Mrs. Bond opened the door and said with a smile.
"That makes sense. Dear, what do you want for Christmas? Remember to get the stockings ready on Christmas Eve."
Richard wrapped his arm around her shoulder and asked.
"Hmm…"
Mrs. Bond thought for a moment, tilted her head and smiled, "Is having you enough?"
"No problem, I'll make sure you get what you want!"
Richard smiled gently, hugging her waist. When he saw someone coming out of the elevator, he let go and pulled Mrs. Bond into the elevator.
On Christmas Day, Richard surprised Mrs. Bond by putting a stocking on his head, almost making her call the police.
After Christmas, New York welcomed the new millennium.
Every December 31st, Times Square hosts a New Year's Eve celebration. The end-of-year event started in 1904 and attracts at least a million people annually, becoming a part of New York's history.
This year, being the millennium, the scale of the event was even larger than before. The city government announced that due to security reasons, Times Square could only accommodate 2 million people.
However, people were so enthusiastic that many arrived on the evening of the 30th with tents and sleeping bags to stay in the square.
By 2 p.m. on the 31st, over 4 million people had surged into the square, with even more arriving constantly.
The dense crowd, from Broadway to Seventh Avenue, was packed tightly, with no space to move.
"It's so cold, how come there are so many people?"
In the Hilton Hotel in Times Square, Richard looked out at the falling snow and the dense crowd on the street below, feeling for the first time how many people there are in the world.
"Of course, it's the millennium party. Millions of people joining together, it happens only once in a lifetime. No one wants to miss it."
Mrs. Bond linked her arm with his, looking at the crowd below with excitement. "Let's go down and join the crowd. It's the atmosphere of the countdown that matters."
"Don't rush. It's only 7 p.m. There are still 4 hours until midnight. If we stay down there the whole time, we'll freeze."
Richard said, holding her.
"Everyone else isn't cold. Are you, a heavyweight champion, afraid of the cold?"
"I'm afraid you're cold!"
"I'm not cold. Come on!"
Mrs. Bond pulled him along.
"Alright, alright, I'll do as you say!"
Richard and Mrs. Bond put on their long down jackets, hats, scarves, gloves, and big boots, and walked out of the room.
Outside on the street, the crowd was so dense it was suffocating.
The New Year's Eve event is organized by the city government, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, New York City Fire Department, Police Department, and emergency services.
To prevent terrorist disruptions, the area around Times Square began to be under strict security by 3 p.m., with no free entry or exit allowed.
Before the event began, all the hotels in Times Square were fully booked. As a senior member of the hotel, Richard almost couldn't get a room even with a reservation made six months in advance.
His plan was to go downstairs to join the countdown at around 11 p.m., or watch from the floor-to-ceiling windows. But with Mrs. Bond, who loves to join the excitement, the room ended up being a waste.
"Ha, there are so many people. It's even more lively than our local carnival. I love this atmosphere."
Mrs. Bond said with a happy laugh.
"Slow down. Don't run around on the street, or you might get swept away by the crowd."
"Got it. I'm not a child. Is this okay?"
Mrs. Bond placed her hand in his, interlocking their fingers and shaking them.
"Okay, let's go!"
Richard smiled lightly and led Mrs. Bond into the crowd.
Along the way, many police officers were maintaining order.
There were many people of different skin colors and languages, people from various backgrounds. Some were dressed extravagantly, others in tattered clothes. Some carried large bags and small packages, while others had tents and sleeping bags. They squeezed forward, chatting and laughing, their faces full of excitement.On both sides of the street, colorful confetti, plastic snowflakes, and balloons continuously floated down from the high-rise buildings, creating a strong festive atmosphere.
As they moved forward with the crowd, the people in front stopped, forcing Richard and Bündchen to halt as well. Since their hotel was close to the square, they had a good spot near the front.
At this moment, a large group of Africans were dancing passionately on the central stage in the square. This was part of the New Year's Eve performance at Times Square, where a small show would be featured every hour.
Each show represented the culture of a specific time zone. With 24 time zones around the world, there were over twenty performances in total, with performers from each respective time zone, showcasing various acts.
Countries from different regions took this opportunity to display their cultural characteristics—some performances were boring, some solemn, some elegant, and some even vulgar.
The most spectacular performance came from Tonga, a Pacific Island nation, where a large group of women, scantily dressed, danced on stage, twisting their waists and shaking their hips, bringing warmth to the onlookers.
"Is it good?"
Mrs. Bündchen nudged him with a playful smile and asked.
"Uh~, I wasn't watching them dance; I was... studying their hairstyles. Yes, their hairstyles are pretty cool," Richard responded, snapping back to reality.
"You're drooling."
"Impossible, absolutely impossible. The hottest girl in the world is in my arms; how could I be drooling over other women?"
Richard replied righteously.
"Haha, go ahead and watch, I'm not that petty," Mrs. Bündchen said, holding his chin with a laugh.
"I'm not watching. It's so cold, and they're wearing so little; it's inhumane. I can't bear it," Richard said, holding her, resting his chin on her shoulder.
"Haha, you really are a good man."
"Of course!"
Richard hugged her and swayed gently.
One performance followed another, from just after 7 PM until midnight. At first, people in the square were chatting, but as time went on, everyone got tired of standing. With so many people, sitting down wasn't an option, so they had no choice but to tough it out.
Some leaned on each other to nap, while others stared at the dozens of giant screens around the square, showing various advertisements, movie trailers, fashion shows, New Year's Eve news, and live broadcasts.
A million people quietly awaited the countdown to the New Year.
"Are you tired? Do you want me to carry you?" Richard asked, holding Mrs. Bündchen.
"Haha, no, I'm very happy, extremely happy," Mrs. Bündchen replied, leaning on his shoulder and softly said, "I've imagined countless times how I would spend the last day of the millennium. I thought of many scenarios, but I never imagined I'd be at Times Square with my lover, along with millions of people, just quietly waiting for the new millennium. This feeling is very, very good."
"Me too, holding you like this for New Year's feels great. Thank you, my dear!"
"Thank you too!" Bündchen smiled, snuggled in his embrace.
At 11:50 PM, the crowd in the square became lively again. Everyone raised their heads, looking at the top of the One Times Square Plaza building.
At the top of the building was a long metal rod, resembling a lightning rod, with a ball at the top that could change colors. This ball was the Big Apple, a symbol of New York City.
As the countdown began, the giant screen on the Big Apple lit up with the countdown numbers: "NINE…EIGHT…SEVEN…"
As the countdown appeared on the screen, millions of people on-site shouted in unison, creating a thunderous sound.
Richard initially intended to stay calm and composed, but the atmosphere was so infectious that he couldn't help but join Mrs. Bündchen in shouting loudly, his heart pounding.
"FIVEFOURTHREETWOONE!!!"
Boom~ A thunderous cheer erupted from the crowd.
Boom~ The Big Apple slid down to the bottom of the rod at the top of the building, like a volcano bursting open. Brilliant golden fireworks shot into the sky from the roof, and confetti rained down from above.
Everyone looked up at the dazzling night sky, filled with a sense of reverence.
"Happy New Year, my dear!" Mrs. Bündchen smiled through her tears.
"Happy New Year, my love!" Richard smiled softly, holding her tightly and sharing a passionate kiss.
Around them, the world was in a frenzy.
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