That Day Is Done

This is my fifth April A-to-Z Challenge. The past couple of years, I’ve written 100-word flash fiction each day. This year I’m doing the same, only with a twist: each day’s story will be inspired by the title of a Paul McCartney song. So let’s continue the fun with…

THAT DAY IS DONE

Five minutes late.

I hurry to my desk, but not before the boss calls me into his office. First time late in six years, but he doesn’t care. No written warning, but his scathing glare says as much.

Meeting at 10. Unprepared for questions on the project. Lots of passive aggression about my competence and work ethic.

Three reports by 2 pm. Is this punishment?

Five o’clock. Cell phone buzzes.

My agent.

I sigh. Can’t be good. Another rejection?

Multi-publisher auction.

Book sold.

Seven figures.

“Same again tomorrow?” says Carly as I print my resignation letter.

I don’t think so.

Sunday is our day off, so check back on Monday for “U”…

“That Day Is Done” is a song written by Paul McCartney and Elvis Costello. Paul recorded a version of it for his 1989 album “Flowers in the Dirt.” Elvis Costello has performed the song live on a couple of occasions.

Here’s Paul’s version:

And here’s Elvis singing it solo, with Steve Nieve on piano, at The Concert for Linda in April 1999 (a charity event celebrating the life of Linda McCartney):

According to SongFacts, Costello said this about the song: “I had a fair opening statement and all these images. It was from a real thing, my grandmother’s funeral. It was sort of serious. He (McCartney) said, ‘Yes, that’s all good, all those images.’ But quite often when you’re writing a song about something personal, what it means to you can sometimes get in the way of what it can mean to somebody else. It needed a release. He said, ‘It needs something like this…’ and he just sat down and played the chorus. It was sort of like ‘Let It Be,’ the creation of a semi-secular gospel song. It was quite shocking when he did that bit. Then when you realise that’s what he does. Then he sung the hell out of it. That’s him, really.”