Last Chance Saloon - Softcover

Keyes, Marian

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0060086246 ISBN 13: 9780060086244

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks, 2013

Synopsis

Ever since legwarmers were cool, best friends Tara, Katherine, and Fintan have survived small-town ennui, big-city heartbreak, and endless giddy nights out on the town. But now that they've graduated to their slightly more serious thirties, only Fintan has what can honestly be called a "love life." With Tara struggling daily with her eternal diet--and her dreadful, penny-pinching boyfriend--and Katherine keeping her single existence as organized as her drawer full of matching bra and panty sets, it seems they'll never locate the exit door out of the "last chance saloon."

But it's always when you are least ready for change that fate insists on one. And when catastrophe inevitably follows crisis, the lives of three best friends are sure to change in unexpected ways ... and not necessarily for the worse.

You devoured the hilarious antics of Claire in Watermelon.
You laughed 'til you cried in Lucy Sullivan Is Getting Married.
You took a vacation gone mad in Rachel's Holiday.
You flew away with Margaret--good girl gone bad--in Angels.
You got a peek inside the cutthroat world of women's fashion magazines in Sushi for Beginners.

Now, raise your glass to Tara, Katherine, and Fintan in Last Chance Saloon.

About this title

About the Author

Marian Keyes is the author of ten bestselling novels and two essay collections. She lives in Ireland with her husband and their two imaginary dogs.

From the Back Cover

Ever since legwarmers were cool, best friends Tara, Katherine, and Fintan have survived small-town ennui, big-city heartbreak, and endless giddy nights out on the town. But now that they've graduated to their slightly more serious thirties, only Fintan has what can honestly be called a "love life." With Tara struggling daily with her eternal diet—and her dreadful, penny-pinching boyfriend—and Katherine keeping her single existence as organized as her drawer full of matching bra and panty sets, it seems they'll never locate the exit door out of the "last chance saloon."

But it's always when you are least ready for change that fate insists on one. And when catastrophe inevitably follows crisis, the lives of three best friends are sure to change in unexpected ways ... and not necessarily for the worse.

You devoured the hilarious antics of Claire in Watermelon.
You laughed 'til you cried in Lucy Sullivan Is Getting Married.
You took a vacation gone mad in Rachel's Holiday.
You flew away with Margaret—good girl gone bad—in Angels.
You got a peek inside the cutthroat world of women's fashion magazines in Sushi for Beginners.

Now, raise your glass to Tara, Katherine, and Fintan in Last Chance Saloon.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Last Chance Saloon

By Marian Keyes

Perennial

ISBN: 0-06-008624-6

Chapter One

At the chrome-and-glass Camden restaurant the skinny hostessran her purple nail down the book and muttered, "Casey, Casey,where've you got to? Here we are, table twelve. You're the -"

"First to arrive?" Katherine finished for her. She couldn'thide her disappointment because she'd forced herself, everyfiber in her body resisting, to be five minutes late.

"Are you a Virgo?" Purple Nails swore by astrology.

At Katherine's nod, she went on, "It's your destiny to bepathologically punctual. Go with it."

A waiter called Darius, with dreadlocks in a Hepburnesquetopknot, pointed Katherine in the direction of her table,where she crossed her legs and shook her layered bob back offher face, hoping this made her look poised and unconcerned.Then she pretended to study the menu, wished she smoked, andswore blind that the next time she'd try to be ten minuteslate.

Maybe, as Tara regularly suggested, she should start going toAnal-Retentives Anonymous.

Seconds later Tara arrived, uncharacteristically on time,clattering across the bleached beech floor, her wheat-coloredhair flying. She wore an asymmetrical dress that glowed withnewness, sang money, and - unfortunately - bulged slightly.Her shoes looked great, though. "Sorry I'm not late," sheapologized. "I know you like to have the moral high ground,but the roads and the traffic conspired against me."

"It can't be helped," Katherine said gravely "Just don't makea habit of it. Happy birthday."

"What's happy about it?" Tara asked ruefully. "How happy wereyou on your thirty-first birthday?"

"I booked ten sessions of nonsurgical face-lifting," Katherineadmitted. "But don't worry, you don't look a day over thirty.Well, maybe a day ..."

Darius bounced across to take Katherine's drink order. Butwhen he saw Tara a look of alarm flickered across his face.Not her again, he thought, stoically preparing for it to be alate one.

"Veen-ho?" Tara asked Katherine. "Or the hard stuff?"

"Gin and tonic."

"Make it two. Right." Tara rubbed her hands together withglee. "Where's my coloring book and crayons?"

Tara and Katherine had been best friends since the age offour, and Tara had a healthy respect for tradition.

Katherine slid a colorful parcel across the table and Taratore the paper off. "Aveda things!" she exclaimed, delighted.

"Aveda products are the thirty-something woman's coloring bookand crayons," Katherine pointed out.

"Sometimes, though," Tara said pensively, "I kind of miss thecoloring book and crayons."

"Don't worry," Katherine assured her. "My mother still buysthem for you for every birthday."

Tara looked up in hope.

"In another dimension," Katherine said quickly

"You look fantastic." Tara lit a cigarette and wistfullychecked out Katherine's claret Karen Millen trouser suit.

"So do you. I love your dress."

"My birthday present to myself. D'you know something?" Tara'sface darkened. "I hate shops that use those slanty forwardmirrors so you think the dress makes you look slender andwillowy. Like a poor fool I always reckon it's because of thegreat cut, so it's worth spending the debt of a small SouthAmerican country on." She paused to take a monumental dragfrom her cigarette. "Next thing you know, you're at home witha mirror that isn't slanty forward and you look like a pig ina frock."

"You don't look like a pig."

"I do. And they wouldn't give me a refund unless it hadsomething wrong with it. I said it had plenty wrong with it,it made me look like a pig in a frock. They said that didn'tcount. It needed something like a broken zipper. But I mightas well wear it seeing as I went up to my Visa limit to buyit."

"But you were already up to your Visa limit."

"No, no," Tara explained earnestly "I was only up to myofficial limit."

"Okay," Katherine said faintly.

Tara picked up the menu. "Oh, look," she said in anguish."It's all so delicious here. Please, God, give me the strengthnot to order a starter. Although I'm so hungry I could eat achild's arse through the bars of a cot!"

"How's the no-forbidden-foods diet going?" Katherine asked,although she could have guessed the answer.

"Gone," exhaled Tara, looking ashamed.

"No harm done," Katherine consoled.

"Exactly." Tara was relieved. "What harm indeed. Thomas wasraging, as you can imagine. But really! Imagine a diet thattells a glutton like me that nothing is forbidden. It's arecipe for disaster."

Katherine made murmury soothing noises, as she had every timeover the past fifteen years when Tara had fallen off the foodwagon. Katherine could eat exactly what she liked, preciselybecause she didn't want to. From her glossy exterior shelooked like the kind of woman who never had struggles withanything. The cool gray eyes that looked out from underneathher smooth dark bangs were assured and appraising. She knewthis. She practiced a lot when she was on her own.

Next to arrive was Fintan, whose progress across therestaurant floor was observed by the staff and most of theclientele. Tall, big, and handsome, he wore a bright purplesuit with buttonholes punched all over both sleeves, throughwhich his lime-green shirt winked and twinkled. A plane couldhave landed on his lapels. Discreet murmuring of "Who'she ...?" "He must be an actor ...?" "Or a model ...?" rustledlike autumn leaves, and the feel-good factor among theFriday-night diners experienced a marked surge. Truly,everyone thought, this is one stylish man. He spotted Tara andKatherine, who'd been watching him with indulgent amusement,and gave a huge smile. It was as if all the lights had beenturned up.

"Gorgeous." Katherine nodded at his suit.

When Fintan had ...

(Continues...)

Excerpted from Last Chance Saloonby Marian Keyes Excerpted by permission.
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Edition details

• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
• Publication date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0060086246
• ISBN 13: 9780060086244
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 528