Well, I've sent an e-mail to the mods to shut this thread down.
For some closure and potential explanation, I worked with this woman for about 300 hours of overtime in a 4-month span. Primarily, we have had a professional relationship. That's not to say that we didn't have lunches and dinners together, along with other staffers. And not that we didn't spend much time in each other's office just talking about random **** when work was slow.
It's just weird to make the transition from a work relationship to a personal relationship, though now I suppose I could.
And, I do exchange e-mail with her almost every day. We're making the transition to a personal relationship, though it's not like you can snap your fingers and change things in a day or a week or a month for that matter. It's mostly always going to be about work.
And I think that those of you who poo poo the value of a job reference probably haven't been in the working world that long. Until I secure my next job assignment, I need her mostly as a job reference rather than a date.
I'll be sarcastic ... "oh, ok, we've just been working our asses off on politics and public policy for 4 months, so let's get into a relationship." I'm sorry, but I just don't see it working like that.
Obviously, several of you think I'm wrong, but I know where she works and she's not going anywhere. I have time.
So, no, I haven't asked her out at this point. And as I said earlier, it's a little more complicated than just saying "ask her out."