I fancy a co worker but i cant tell if they like me or are just being nice
I've become quite close to a coworker over the past few months and I'm struggling to work out whether she's just a genuinely friendly person or whether there could be something more.
In person we get on really well. She teases me a lot, jokes and flirts with me, remembers little things about me, and often seems pleased to see me. She has greeted me enthusiastically when I've arrived at work and when we pass each other. She checks in on me regularly and notices when i am down/offers support and she has said "message if you need anything" and that she's always there for me and she cares about me.
She has also suggested doing things outside of work on more than one occasion (sometimes including another coworker), uses future tense when talking about things we could do, and when I suggested going to a music concert because she'd never been to one, she said yes, although she didn't really elaborate beyond that.
She's nominated me for employee of the month with her reason being im just amazing and wonderful, she generally seems very comfortable around me,making good eye contact, laughing even when i dont say anything funny, she does this with a playfull and excited tone in her voice.
When she started she was in a relationship, so I thought nothing more of it even though i liked her purely out of respect for her, she has since come out of the relationship and has asked me how old i am (got excited when she noticed we are a similar age) and if i have a GF/in a relationship. she could have asked me these questions when she was in a relationship,so the timing on the questions has made me question if she has always had a soft spot for me and her behavior has stayed the same so its not like she is suddenly being this way with me now she is single, which also proves the point the connection was genuine from the start.
The confusing part is texting. Outside work, I'm almost always the one who messages first. She has told me I can message her about anything and has said "message if you need anything", but she often gives short replies or doesn't reply at all. The text conversations often feel one-sided, whereas in person she seems much warmer, more enthusiastic and more engaged.
I'm trying to be realistic and not read too much into things. Does this sound like someone who is simply a friendly, caring coworker, or could there be signs of genuine romantic interest? And if you were in my position, would you keep trying to message outside work or just focus on the in-person connection and see where things naturally go?
If you got to the end thanks as I appreciate it was a long messege.