I feel I wanted to try my hand at writing another Car Share fanfic and with that I wanted to introduce Alan Campbell, who we never got to meet on screen.

Peter Kay's Car Share: How Deep is Your Love?

Chapter 1

Duran Duran's The Reflex plays on the radio. John knows the lyrics pretty well and is tempted to sing along to the song but finds this isn't the best time to do so, seeing how he wasn't travelling in the Fiat that morning. He had company, well a new car share buddy to be precise. Janet Douglas was much older than John and had worked at the store since it first opened. She only lived down the road from him. Recently she had returned to work after an hotel accident on holiday in Benidorm.

"Mr Redmond, don't even think about singing like you're auditioning for the next series of X Factor."

"Me audition for X Factor! I wouldn't even make it past the audition stage. Anyway I'd rather put myself forward to audition in front of Tom Jones and William... Will I Am on the Voice UK instead." John knows he wouldn't stand a chance on a reality tv show like X Factor.

"Ah Tom Jones, now he's a singer, who can have my heart anyplace, anytime he wants. If you know what I mean." Janet wasn't always grumpy or bossy all the time, she certainly had a mischievous and smart side to her. John thought it might be best not to ask questions seeing as Janet looked like she wouldn't crack a smile for long, especially if he suddenly starts to poke his nose into her business, by asking her how many years has she been a massive fan of Tom Jones'.

"Yeah I think I do know what you mean but you've got nothing to worry about with me, I'm not gonna go all Philip Schofield on you." John promises. That should be the end of the matter but unfortunately it isn't. Janet's heard plenty of rumours about him and Kayleigh Kitson, rumours which must surely have reached every store within the North West by now.

"I can't stand that smug faced Schofield bloke off the tv. He gets on my right nerves. Oh you better hadn't, try any funny business with me, like you had did with Kayleigh. Some of us reckon you two had a bit of a tiff." Janet proves as well as being a tough nut to crack, she's not necessarily a gossiper like Elsie, she's more of a truth seeker instead.

"We're not even dating. I don't know what gave people that idea." John's gut instinct is to deny everything, when deep down he knows the truth was conclusively out in the open now. To be honest, the constant denial and fear was getting him nowhere.

"Look all I knows is, Ray started gossiping about the two of you. Claimed you two tried to get rid of him once in the staff car park, just so you could whisk Kayleigh off somewhere romantic." Listening to Janet's Welsh accent, instantly manages to bring a quaint smile to John's face.

His cheeky smile doesn't go overlooked by Janet, who frowns at him, clearly she's unimpressed. John honestly couldn't work the woman out, one minute she was being a fusspot then the next minute she wanted to know whether a rumour about you was true or not. John's temporary upbeat mood was soon replaced with a look of deep thought and regret.

"Utter bollocks! The bloody man unleashed his fish fragrance in my car for Christ's sake and he had a right bloody cheek of messing around with my car radio every five minutes. He's a mood killer Janet."

"Yes I suppose that's true. Still don't think this gets you off the hook about what's been occurring between you and Kayleigh, Mr Redmond." Anyone who knew Janet, would know you couldn't succeed in pulling the wool over her eyes. She was smarter than a 5-a-side pub quiz team put together and she looked as though she was capable of giving Sherlock Holmes a run for his money too.

"Let me guess you're looking forward to being on my back, aren't you Janet? Until you get the truth out of me, one way or another." John wonders if Elsie has gone and put her up to this. Well the two women had been behaving as if, they were gossip partners in crime around the store just before Janet went off on her holidays to Benidorm and came back with her leg in plaster.

"Oh Yes. When you least expect it." Janet hints, with a knowing look. John gave an uneasy look.

An advert for Shed Surgery plays next on the radio

"It's no good, my left eye's not as good as it use to be"

"How about your right eye? Is it any better if I take this lens away?"

"Better."

"What if I add this lens to your left, do you think you can see the letter board?"

"Oh that's much better."

"Wonderful now you will be able to see how good are low price Garden Sheds are on in our stores as well as on our The Shed Surgery website."

"What the chances, I've been after a shed for a few months. Thanks for recommendation Doctor."

xxx

Meanwhile, Kayleigh was on her third day off from work and from the look of things. She wasn't exactly getting any moments of peace and quiet while she was trying to watch This Morning on the TV in the living room; what with her being forced to listen to Steve revving up his bike outside, under the gazebo every five minutes. She honestly didn't know whether she could cope with having another morning ruined. With her considering her job prospects elsewhere, she knew she was doing herself any favours by avoiding John at all costs, even though he had left her heart broken.

That morning, Philip and Holly were hosting a phone-in and asking for any of the viewers to phone them up with love dilemmas they were experiencing at the moment. Kayleigh did consider ringing up but thought she would just end up being a bag of nerves because of the fact Philip Schofield would be talking to her. She always got starstruck a lot whenever she met a celebrity or tried to get a question answered on a tv phone-in.

Despite everything that had happened between them, Kayleigh did find herself still missing John, how he would make her laugh and make her happy whenever she felt down. At the same time, she was mulling over the thought of her swearing off men altogether because she knew they weren't all good two-shoes. She was completely torn over what she should do next with her life.

"Feet off the sofa. It's bad enough with Steve wiping his greasy hands all over it, I don't want you doing the same with your smelly socks Kayleigh." Mandy looked fed up, having to deal with her sister being off from work, with a migraine.

"Smelly socks! cheeky cow." Kayleigh said, as she gave her sister, a not very convincing outraged look.

"You're going back into work tomorrow, whether you like it or not, migraine or not." Mandy didn't want her sister upsetting the usual happy mood around the house. Kayleigh had to make some important decisions soon, starting with deciding if she wants to just remain friends with this John bloke from work.

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are!"

"I'm not going to win, am I?"

"No you're not. Come on shift yourself before Steve parks himself on the sofa and starts asking you to do bacon butties for him." Mandy gave her a word of warning, regarding Steve's laid-back regular as clockwork afternoon routine.

Kayleigh deliberately takes her time in getting off from the sofa, which doesn't impress her sister one little bit. Mandy feels she's got no choice but to knock some much needed sense into her sister.

"I get it you're heartbroken about what happened between you and John but this isn't a good thing for you, watching too much daytime tv and doing nothing else. You won't get over your broken heart until you make the effort to put things right with John, no matter how awkward and difficult it might be."

"You gave me that advice, the last time I had man trouble and look where that got me...ending up as a drugs mule without even knowing it. Good job I had that Alanis CD to humiliate him with."

"Yeah you made yourself out to be a right vengeful woman, armed with that CD of yours." Mandy brought up one of Kayleigh's favourite Album CDs in their conversation.

"Oh Alanis is the ultimate CD friend, any woman can have. No man has a licence to mess with Kayleigh Kitson, because Alanis has got my back and she'll humiliate any man with her lyrics." Kayleigh announced with a feisty manner.

Mandy thought her sister shouldn't be bothering with looking back on past mistakes and looking forward to the future instead. Her house was packed enough with Alfie and Chloe having their own rooms, her and Steve having their room and Kayleigh sleeping downstairs most nights, Mandy wouldn't dare let her sister sleep in Chloe's room because she knew she would make a mess.

xxx

A bus poster advertises an Exercise/Fitness Centre slogan with the words "Earn It, Pump It, Move It, Strut It, Do It, Yell It...Just Do Whatever You Like with It."

John suddenly finds himself in sudden reflective mood. This hadn't been a first for him, in fact this had been happening to him a lot recently and it set off alarm bells in his thoughts every time - not that he would admit out loud to anyone especially nosy Janet.

To be honest it pretty much had more to do with what Elsie had asked him in the car the other week, about if he lived on his own and how hard it must be for him. Living alone for the last 20+ years had felt like a doddle but now the more he thinks about it, the more regret he feels, not finding 'the one' and not settling down with them. It dawned upon him, no sooner after he had started car sharing with Kayleigh, his daily commutes to work were well worth looking forward to because Kayleigh made them feel better.

John remains thoughtful as he now follows what he remembers Kayleigh always taught him, 'Listen to the words.' "We must have been stone crazy. And we thought we were just friends. Cause I miss you baby. And I've got those feelings again

I guess I'm all confused about you. I feel so in love. Oh baby. What can I do?

I've been thinking about you
I've been thinking about you
I've been thinking about you, oh yeah
I've been thinking about you
Shi pow pow"

As luck would have it, Janet's current meticulous attention-to-detail skills weren't being centered on him for the time being. This came as a bit of a huge relief for John, to not find himself being on the receiving end of her attention. Unfortunately the same couldn't be repeated for the dickhead driving at 20mph in front of John's car.

Janet became enraged by the man's cautious slow driving. "Beep him. Beep at the bastard!"

"Why? That's hardly going to do us much good in this situation!" Honest to god, the woman was a bit insane.

"We're already 15 minutes late Mr Redmond. Haven't you ever been annoyed by slow drivers before, so much so you've wanted to let them know you reckon they're one of their worst drivers ever?"

"No..Why should I?" John just thinks she's talking bollocks.

"...Is he for real?" Janet mutters under her breath, well enough for not John to hear what she properly said.

"Who is?" John still somehow manages to overhear the end of what she's saying.

"You Mr Redmond, that's bloody who!" Janet tells him straight.

The traffic queue soon started to improve and the Fiat followed another row of cars before it turned off and headed towards the retail park, past B&M and KFC. Janet came over all quiet after she had finished snapping at him, as soon as the car became free from the slow-moving traffic.

John didn't feel he should ask her, why he was getting the silent treatment from her. To be honest, at that moment he was beginning to realize he preferred the peace and quiet. It didn't matter how long it lasted, just as long as she didn't drive him further up the wall with her grumpy demeanor and show any more glimpses of her unpredictable behaviour.

Within a couple of minutes John is parking the Fiat in the usual parking space in the store's car park. He's soon left shaking his head in disbelief, from the moment he sees how Janet had left a right old mess on the passenger seat and the inside of the passenger door, biscuit crumbs and muddy footprints were all over the . She must have taken one of her shoes off and tried to clean it, by wiping it along it's red paintwork. She had pushed him too far because he knew he'd had quite enough of her unbearable presence and now he wanted to remind her, he was management afterall. Even though she was much older than him, she needed to learn a lesson or two about the fact she didn't have any permission to boss John around.

John bumped into Alan Campbell, who was placing a large wrapped present in the back seat of his car. "Alright Alan, where you off to?"

"Alright John. I got a call from my wife, to remind me the both of us have an appointment this morning with our local vicar. We're getting Matthew christened on the 24th. Well it was her idea and I couldn't really say no, could I?"

"Blimey you're getting Matthew christened already. Your Kathy sounds very keen."

"Tell me about it. Her mum had her christened 3 weeks after she was born. A family tradition apparently, to get a christening over and done with."

John took a peek at the football printed wrap on the mysterious item. "What's that you got wrapped up? Not another guitar is it? because if it, I'm still not gonna give you an audition to be in my band." Alan was a bit of a musician himself, well only in his spare time. He was always leaving positive comments on Compendium's YouTube page. John thought this might be him, trying to persuade him into letting him join his band.

"No..no don't be daft. I haven't gone mad and bought myself another guitar, to add to the ones I've got. No, it's a 4ft lava lamp, I'm gonna put it in the nursery room for Matthew."

"Aw that's brilliant. Mind if I have a look?" John grins, looking impressed.

"No you bloody can't. Anyway hadn't you best hop it into the office before you get Dave breathing down your neck ." Alan chuckles. He's a born and bred, larger than life Mancunian. A bloke who loves putting a smile on his colleagues' faces, with his topical jokes and his silly songs. Kayleigh had suggested a few months back that the two were very much alike. The only difference between them was, John had been single for god knows how long and lived alone.

"He can breath down my neck all he likes for all I care. I've just had to give Janet Douglas a lift to work and put up with her bossing me around. You won't believe me the things she said Alan, what she'd do to Tom Jones, if and when she encounters him." After the bad and uncomfortable start to the morning he had experienced, John filled Alan in on what happened during his commute to work that morning.

"Poor you...and poor Sir Tom." Alan chuckles. Even his laughter is contagious to listen to. "Well I best be off then, to meet my wife at the church." Alan was going to mention about Kayleigh Kitson's handwritten notice but decided against doing so because he didn't want to put a dampener on his conversation with John.

"I'll see you back in the office later then. Don't go falling asleep in the church now." John said with a cheeky remark as he was walking away, once Alan got in his car, John headed straight into the building.

xxx

Later that afternoon John returned to his car. His body language told a different story from how it looked earlier that morning, when he first arrived for work. John didn't even need to switch the radio on, as it pretty much did the job itself , which didn't come as much of a surprise to him. He'd read Kayleigh's notice and now he was torn over whether to accept it, give up on her or make one last ditch attempt at persuading her to stay, as well as tell her he loves her.

"Who am I kidding? Kayleigh's the best thing that's ever happened to me and now I'm bloody losing her. I can't let her go." John tries to give himself a pep talk on 'how not giving up on Kayleigh forever'.

Bryan Adams' Back to You plays on the radio.

Meanwhile a man appears to be taking a photo on his phone of his girlfriend's bum and gets a slap in the face from his girlfriend because she caught him red-handed eyeing up another woman.

John makes the last-minute decision to drive straight to Kayleigh's sister house, instead of him going home as he regularly does. He thinks driving for another 90 minutes should be a problem however the same might not be said for when he finally faces the wrath of Mandy, who will obviously have her sister's back by telling him to 'sling your hook', if he knocks at the house. He didn't expect her to scare the shit out of him, enough to make him walk away and leave Kayleigh alone for good.. He had remembered Kayleigh telling him a few weeks into their car sharing, 'If you met our Mandy, if I were you I wouldn't mess with her because she'll only bite your head off.'

'On the Drive Home this evening, stay tuned for one of our biggest giveaways on Forever FM. A cooking lesson with Gordon Ramsay at one of his top UK restaurants.' John raises his left eyebrow in surprise. "And they call this a big giveaway?" he quietly mouths to himself.

'Bring it out, bring it brilliantly, bring it anyway you want. Sign up for our latest courses at Brillington College, where brilliance is almost our name.'

As a cast of blinding sunlight bounced off the Fiat's windows, John was now driving round into the street and was eagerly searching for Steve's gazebo at the side of the house. He couldn't see much on first view of looking at the houses on his left hand side. However on his second time of viewing the houses again, he was able to see the gazebo standing out like a monument.

When your world is full of strange arrangements
And gravity won't pull you through
You know you're missing out on something
Well that something depends on you

All I'm saying
It takes a lot to love you
All I'm doing
You know it's true
All I mean now
There's one thing yes one thing that turns this gray sky to blue

That's the look, that's the look
The look of love
That's the look, that's the look
The look of love

"I can do this. No pissing myself now. No fear, No mucking things up like I did that time when Ted Senior humiliated me at Table Tennis."

John saw Steve sitting on a deckchair, his face a picture of concentration as he read a Guy Martin book. His eyes then momentarily fixated themselves at Kayleigh's bedroom window and soon they saw the heart lamp glowing brightly. Perhaps this could be her sending him out a sign. No who he was kidding, she absolutely hated him for the pathetic excuses he gave and the horrible way in which he behaved. He knew she didn't deserve this from him.

"John!" Steve called to him. "Are you sure, you should be showing your face around here?"

Steve had nearly given John a fright because of how loudly he shouted over to him. "What do you mean?! I'm hardly gonna stick a sombrero on my head, a stick-on mustache over my lips and start calling myself Juan."

"If you're looking for Kayleigh, her and Mandy are playing hide and seek in the back garden with the kids. Do you want me, to let Kayleigh know you're here?" Steve walked over to John's car.

"Just give her this for me will you, Steve?" John handed over a small wrapped present to Steve. It looked like an important present, one in which he thought she might enjoy.

"Feels like a CD you've given me here." Steve guesses straight away.

Worried Kayleigh may have overheard what Steve said, John warns him to keep quiet. "Sssh keep your voice down...yeah it is. It's a Now 30 Years CD. Please tell her to play Disc 1, Track 19(Take That - Back For Good) or if she wants to listen more tell her to play Disc 2, Track 4(Atomic Kitten - Whole Again)."

"Will do." Steve gave him a nod, to show he understood what his task was. Moments later John drives away in the Fiat; knowing the promise he had vowed to stick to a few minutes ago - to fight for her, had amounted to nothing.

The CD would surely make her see and listen for herself, the amount of thought he's managed to put into expressing his feelings for her through song lyrics.

Vengaboys' We're going to Ibiza plays on the radio in the background

John starts laughing because the song reminds him of a summer holiday, he and Paul went on to Magaluf. Paul had acted on a clever idea, which involved him making up a few silly dance moves and then at the last minute he'd decided to use them for whenever this song got played in one of the nightclubs. A right yet funny showoff his brother portrayed himself as, in a club called Pedro's.

He'd given Kayleigh the full lowdown regarding this holiday story one day when they found themselves stuck in traffic. She had ended up asking John why hadn't he considered doing a dance-off with his brother. He said he had far too much to drink on that night, so he didn't want to risk picking up an injury if he had foolishly followed Paul onto the dancefloor. Kayleigh came round to eventually understanding his reason for not doing so.

xxx

Later that evening, Steve had gone to take a shower after spending most of the day, adjusting the seat on his bike, as well as making sure the handles weren't stiff.

Mandy found the CD hidden underneath a pile of address books in the hallway. "What's this?" She wonders curiously, the exact moment she picks the concealed CD.

"A framed photo of Steve and his beloved bike. Wouldn't surprise me, if he thinks it's a turn on for you" Kayleigh guesses without thinking, while she's busy peeping over her sister's shoulder. Mandy was the tallest sister.

"Well unless he's done a naked selfie next to his bike and decided to frame it for me, I wouldn't mind treasuring that as a present. Manly chest...Mmm... oh yeah." Mandy smirks to herself.

"Oh god, please stop painting me a visual picture of Steve sprawled nakedly across his bike." Kayleigh thought she might throw up at any moment because Mandy kept deliberately banging on about her husband's impressive body.

"Oh give over. I'm only kidding with you. It's always so easy for me everytime, to convince you I like sharing details of my married life." Mandy loved seeing the funny side of her sister looking horrified.

"Whatever." Kayleigh pretends she doesn't care, her sister fooled her for what more or less feels like the hundredth time since Mandy got married.

Mandy's curiosity and excitement overwhelmed her, so much so, she couldn't wait a moment longer and made quick work on unwrapping the present. Kayleigh looked on with disapproval, she knew Steve wouldn't be best pleased with Mandy for spoiling his mystery surprise present. When the Now CD's shiny cover was unveiled, it suddenly dawns on Kayleigh the present isn't for her sister, it was in fact for her.

"I should have known, this wouldn't be a photo." Mandy looked highly annoyed.

"Now whose the one with egg on her face." It was Kayleigh's moment to get the upper hand over her sister for once. She opens the CD and finds a post-it note with the words 'Hope you will find it in your heart to forgive me, after you listen to Disc 1 Track 19 and Disc 2 Track 4.'

"Can't say I'm surprised, John pouring his heart out to you in lyrics. You're all he thinks about." Although Mandy hadn't had the pleasure of meeting John in person but she knew one thing for sure; she didn't need to be psychic to know, this was John's way of making sure her sister knows, he wants to put things right between the two of them and that he wants to remain part of her life

"As if! He told me himself, he doesn't see us being more than friends and that he doesn't live his life in a fairytale." Kayleigh couldn't work out what John was playing at. Of course she missed not talking to him, having a laugh with him and singing along to whatever well known song the DJ plays on Forever FM.

"If I were you, I'd give John another chance." Steve says, butting in on their conversation. Despite their occasional differences and deliberately winding each other up, Mandy and Kayleigh at least agreed on one fact, they thought it was very rude of Steve to sneak up behind them.

"Oh not you and all Steve? Come to think of it, the both of you might as well as form a 'We Love John Redmond fan club' for him." Kayleigh suggests to them. At first, she had enjoyed the fact everyone who she knows in and out of work, were talking about her and John, as if they were a couple but things felt different especially for her because she knows right now she has to make has one or two decisions.

"Why you having a go at me for? I'm only stating the obvious. You two are bloody made for each other, anyone can see that." Steve defends his choice of words.

"Oh go on, listen to John's CD." Mandy was beginning to lose some patience with her reluctant sister, clearly she understands Kayleigh was going through some emotions after hearing John's stinging comments but seriously, she needed to stick on a pair of headphones and listen to the CD as soon as possible.

"If I do, do you solemnly swear you won't be on my back regarding John, once I've listened to the CD?" Kayleigh feels she needs complete reassurance from Mandy.

"I swear...I won't say nothing else, to get you to speak to John." Mandy held her right hand up in the air, a few centimeters away from her cheek, while she resorted to making her promise most reassuring and crystal clear.

"Good." was all Kayleigh could say just before she disappears off to the back garden, clutching the CD and Chloe's mini pink headphones, which she just so happened to nab from the living room when Mandy briefly had her back turned.

As the few seconds of the song plays on Kayleigh's portable CD player, she begins to fantasize John starring in the music video for Back For Good. John taking Gary Barlow's role in her fantasy worked well.

Whatever I said, whatever I did,
I didn't mean it
I just want you back for good
(Want you back, want you back, want you back for good)
Whenever I'm wrong
Just tell me the song and I'll sing it
You'll be right and understood
(Want you back, want you back, want you back for good)
I want you back for good

Ted 2 also turned up in her dream as well but he just didn't look appealing enough, even with him playing a guitar and singing along on backing vocals. John and Gary Barlow did have one thing in common, you couldn't take your eyes off them while they entranced you with the screen presence.

Unaware but underlined
I figured out this story (no no)
It wasn't good (no no)
But in a corner of my mind (corner of my mind)
I celebrated glory
But that was not to be
In the twist of separation
You excelled at being free
Can't you find (can't you find) a little room inside for me

Kayleigh's heart softens considerably as she processes the lyrics in her mind. They soon make her question why she hadn't given John a few more minutes to explain himself. She remembers back to early last week, well the day after it happened; her colleagues at work weren't being very chatty with her than they usually were. It's as if they might be aware of something she still doesn't know about. Elsie had put on another of her 'I'm saying nothing' performances as usual. All this tiptoeing around her, had made her wonder if they were hiding a secret from her about John.

She couldn't kid herself any longer because running away from the obvious, would make her regret not seizing a second and last chance with John. Oh it was very clear to see, she still held a torch for John and that she wasn't quite ready to give up hope on trying to get him to open up to her.

She played the second song. John had known she adored the song and had taken into upon himself to ask her to consider listening to the words carefully. The song's lyrics summed up them well. It doesn't take long for her to text him.

"John thanks for the CD. We've both behaved like idiots. I think we still should talk and decide what's for the best between us, friendship or love. Pick me up tomorrow night if you want to."

Her thumb hovers over the send symbol on her phone for a matter of moments before she eventually sends her message.

It takes John two minutes to text her back, god that man really was quick on his feet, when it came to texting in record time. Straight away Kayleigh reads his message word for word.

"Like I told you 'Maybe some things are worth going out your way for'. When I said that, you know I meant you. Of course I'll come and pick you up. I've got a good place in mind, you might love. Pick you up about 7pm."

"That's perfect. See you tomorrow."

"You took the words right out of me mouth Kayleigh. JR."

Kayleigh smiles affectionately when she sees he's added JR at the end of his message.

End of Chapter

And you can dance
For inspiration
Come on
I'm waiting

Get into the groove
Boy you've got to prove
Your love to me, yeah
Get up on your feet, yeah
Step to the beat
Boy what will it be

Music can be such a revelation
Dancing around you feel the sweet sensation
We might be lovers if the rhythm's right
I hope this feeling never ends tonight

All Reviews are welcome