She told me to “take things naturally.” Should I keep getting to know her, or am I waiting for something that might never happen?

[u/SpaceLord24]

I’m a 31-year-old guy interested in a 28-year-old woman I met at work. We’re in different departments, so our opportunities to interact face-to-face are limited.

I made my intentions clear because I genuinely wanted to get to know her romantically. I invited her to watch a movie, we once spent our lunch break together and talked for an hour, and we’ve had conversations through Instagram and Office MS Teams. I eventually told her that I was genuinely interested in her and wasn’t looking for games or anything complicated.

She told me she appreciated my honesty, but she hadn’t had enough interaction with me to know what she felt or what to say. She suggested that we **“take things naturally”** because we still work together and she wanted to avoid unnecessary pressure.

Since then, I’ve tried to respect her pace. Sometimes she replies warmly and asks about me, but other times our conversations are brief or she takes hours to respond. Recently, she checked in on me while I was recovering from a fever, and we had another friendly conversation. These moments make me happy, but I know they don’t necessarily mean she’s developing romantic feelings.

Our office schedules may not overlap much in the coming months, so most of our communication will probably be online. I’m willing to keep getting to know her, but I don’t want to confuse patience with waiting indefinitely for someone who may never reciprocate my feelings.

**My questions:**

1. When a woman says she wants to “take things naturally,” does it mean she’s open to exploring a romantic connection, or could she simply be unsure about her feelings?
   
2. Is it reasonable to keep initiating conversations occasionally, provided I respect her boundaries and don’t pressure her?
   
3. How can I distinguish genuine romantic progress from ordinary friendliness?
   
4. At what point should I step back and ask for clarity instead of continuing to wait?

I’m not expecting her to owe me anything just because I’ve been patient or sincere. I understand that feelings can’t be forced, and I’m prepared to accept it if she eventually decides she doesn’t see me romantically.

I just want to know whether giving this connection time is reasonable or whether I’m setting myself up for disappointment.

I’d appreciate honest answers, especially from women who have been in a similar situation. Please be real with me, even if the truth isn’t what I want to hear.

[u/oatmealbowl33]

1. to me it sounds like what she said, she hasn’t interacted with you enough to develop feelings for you, it might happen at some point or it might not. It’s not that she’s unsure, she doesn’t have feelings right now.
   
2. Yes you can keep initiating, but to avoid crossing a line make sure the initiation is happening on both sides. If she stops initiating it’s a sign.
   
3. I know as much as you do 😂but I would say since you already told her you see her romantically it’s in her court to let you know if anything changes on her side.
   
4. Related to 3, again it’s on her court. If you ask for clarity when she hasn’t changed any of her behavior towards you is pushy. The lack of escalation from her would be your answer. As to how long to wait, however long you’re able to keep things entirely platonic and friendly from her.