Music doesn’t always play a strong role in my books, but it does in UNDER CONTRACT—particularly in one scene. It was one of those scenes later in the story that I had in my head very early on.
Part of the reason that music is important to this book is because my heroine, Tina, is raising her orphaned twelve-year-old nieces. They’re all having a hard time, the girls mourning their parents and Tina her twin sister. Sometimes they fight with each other, but when they do connect, it’s over the movie Pitch Perfect.
Yes, I love that movie. We all love this movie, right? I’ve watched it several *cough*a dozen*cough* times. So, when I wanted a movie that twelve-year-old girls into music and dance, and their aunt in her early thirties would all love as a comfort watch.
But my favorite scene, the one I knew I wanted to include at some point, is when Tina avails herself of the hero’s exercise room. Ryan is hugely wealthy and has state-of-the-art everything. From the beginning he encourages Tina to make herself at home, whether he’s there or not, but she hesitates. Partly from pride, partly because it feels weird. Finally, after he calls her out for holding him at arm’s length, she decides to use the gym while he’s at his office. She runs on the treadmill, using her nieces’ iPod—and listens to the Pitch Perfect soundtrack.
This is absolutely pulled from my life. I have a bunch of playlists I rotate through for running on the treadmill, and Pitch Perfect is one of them. I may dance a little as I run.
I can’t help myself. And there’s no one to witness.
It doesn’t quite work out that way for Tina, which is part of why I love that scene. But I won’t spoil it for you!
How about you all—do you have special exercise soundtracks? Do you ever start dancing? Ever get caught??? :D
