I'm (26M) currently interested in one of my coworkers. My crush on her is kinda new, so I haven't said or done anything to make it explicitly known. I've had crushes before, but this is the first I've had with enough self-confidence to even think about acting upon it. That said, I have not been on a date in years, and I have never been in a serious long-term relationship so I'm a little nervous.
There's a handful of green lights that are obvious – she's gorgeous, we're friendly, we share interests and values, etc. However, the titular red light I'm at is that we are coworkers. I don't think there's a power dynamic like an HR video would use as an example (we have the same title and duties), but she is new-ish (~6 months, compared to my 2 years) and I did train her a little bit early on. I've heard enough horror stories of coworkers dating that I'm wary and I don't want to ask other coworkers for advice because I don't want any rumors to start/spread (our office is kinda small).
Worse comes to worst, I think we are both mature enough to handle an awkward rejection with no hard feelings, but it's still something I'd like to mitigate as best as possible especially if she doesn't think the same. So I guess I'm looking for tips/advice from strangers, since my friend group is kinda scattered and my family is not helpful when it comes to dating. How would you navigate this? Thanks.