-Ongoing flirtacious relationship with a girl from work - about a year.
-i was very cautious. very hesitant to escalate for work reasons, were in the same dept. a turn down could make things awkward.
-i finally got some courage and escalated - at least i felt like i did.
-in an email i jokingly asked to if she "wanted to come with me" to a weekend trip i was going on.
-i knew there was no way she could say yes to this particular event.
-my hope was that she would say "no, but . . . maybe some other time"
-i didnt get that response
-since then she has been friendly, but the flirtiness has gone away.

questions:
-do most women see through this joking around way of asking her out?
-does she know what i was getting at?
-does she just think i was joking around?
-is she oblivious to my intent or on some level is she thinking "hmmmm - did he just ask me out?"

why am i being so cowardly? why aren't i being direct? too much to lose! with work and all. very nervous about being inappropriate and very nervous that a turn down could make things awkward at work. if she turns me down this way, i could always fall back on "i was joking." do most women know that its really not a joke????