Best way to ask ex-colleague if she's interested?

[SirEndipity]

Hi All,

Have spent the last year working closely with a lovely colleague, we got on really well, flirted and talked non-stop but I deliberately held-back and stayed professional.

We're both single and I really like her and she 'seems' to like me so I'd like to know if we can progress to a 'proper' relationship now we're not working together any more. We're still in constant contact and it just FEELS like there could/should be more?!

Just wondering what your thoughts are on the best approach to take? For once in my life I seem to be stuck for words!

Options:

1. Come right out and say it: I like you and would like a 'proper' relationship with you, how do you feel about that/me?

2. Take the softly softly approach and ask her if the flirting was harmless or if there could be more to it - and does she want to take it further?

3. Something else?!

All ideas appreciated and Many Thanks in Advance!
S

Ask her if she would like to have dinner with you.

Nice and straightforward, simple. If she says yes, and it goes well, you can ask to see her again. Just a natural progression towards a relationship if that's what you both want.

I wouldn't ask her if she wanted to leap into a relationship with you. A single date as a start is the way to go.

That's really lovely. Don't go in too strong. Ask to see her outside of work - coffee at the weekend/something related to a shared interest (eg. an exhibition). Good luck :)

'Fancy coming out for a drink (or insert other casual activity) sometime?' - its all you need and you can go from there.

Don't do either 1 or 2. Just ask her ig she'd like to go out for dinner next Saturday night. She'll get what you mean by that.

She sounds like she enjoys your company, ask her out for dinner. At the end of dinner tell her you hope she'll come out with you again! I wouldn't say the words "proper relationship" cos that could sound like a high bar, or a job description at this early stage. Even from somebody you like!!

Good luck.

Don't ask for a relationship! Ask for a date!

She might be a proper bunny boiler on the quiet for all you know.... :) get to know each other better and see where it goes!

Ask her out for a dinner date :) Good luck.

Yeah as others have said, asking her out to dinner sounds appropriate and should give you an idea of how she feels about you.

A dinner invitation will likely get her thinking (or at least arouse her suspicions) that you're interested in her as more than just a colleague.

Let us all know how you get on; I'm always interested to know about work related relationships.

I would err on the side of ask her for a drink, THEN a few days after that ask for dinner assuming you didn't snog each other's faces off at end of the drink. But I am a cautious one, if dinner seems natural given how well you already know each other then go with that.

And update

I wouldn't say dinner. Neither of you has moved it beyond phone contact, it sounds like? Even with flirting. So I think there's a possibility for her to misunderstand. Or not so much misunderstand or not be certain. She could think "well, I like him, but maybe he means friends, he didn't say a date, and I'm too unsure to risk it with a kiss". And - forgive me - the fact you're asking here makes me think you'd be slow to lean in for a snog unless she'd explicitly signalled it was OK? Just a hunch as neither of you have managed to up the ante.

So I would suggest that you are explicit, and call or text (calling better, texting fine if you're nervous) and say "miss not seeing you now we're working together. Really like you but didn't want to cross a line during work. Can I ask you out on a date? Dinner on Sunday at xyz?"

Ooh, that's a nice text.

But then surely a bit of delicious uncertainty is good?