Hi IMMK,
Thanks for your fast reply. I like that idea and would like to go through with it. I generally like to be direct because I usually get distracted if I don't.

In this case, we have planned on going to a cheap dinner and then The Fantasticks (some show) Friday downtown that I went ahead and said I would pay for. As I wrote, I think she she is looking for romance based on her treating the dinner as a real date and her perma-smile and drive to impress me, but all my words to her have been platonic (but I played along with the date role).

I have emailed back and forth with her, but never talked on the phone or much at work (we can't see eachother much there because of our locations and schedules).

When do I give her the talk? Do I call or email her now? Do I wait until dinner, after the end of the evening, or the day following sometime?

Do I segue into the topic gradually, or drop it out of the blue?

I guess the sooner the better, right, IMMK or anyone?

Thanks,
bb