I just ended a 3 year serious relationship with a guy. Throughout the process of breaking up, I built a very strong friendship with my lesbian friend who is several years older than me. Never having had feelings for a woman, I was caught off guard by sex and kissing dreams I constantly had about her and how much I missed her when we didn’t see each other for a few days. I find any reason to text her and just because of our texting, she had to get an unlimited text plan. She’s an affectionate person but rarely shows that side with me, although we are arguably much closer than most of our other mutual friends. We talk a lot about relationships, as she was there a lot for me through my breakup, and she’ll often say “hypothetically, let’s say you and I are dating…” and more often than once she has made some sexual comments while drunk in a very direct flirtatious manner. She’s told me that she thinks I’m curious. I didn’t confirm or deny it when she said that. I only have this curiosity for her, so is it real attraction or just admiration or idolization? I think she’s a great person and friend. But there’s also something wildly attractive about her. Anyway, I feel often that there’s something mutual going on between us and many of our friends have actually approached us and asked if there was anything romantic going on. I was hoping that my curiosity for her would resume to friendship after I ended my unhappy relationship but it hasn’t. She’s still friends with all of her exes outside of the cheater so I’m not concerned about losing our friendship if I revealed my feelings and things did or didn’t happen. I don’t know if I’m misreading her so I’m afraid to tell her about my curiosity. She once told someone her type of girl in front of me and it sounded a lot like me. When she found out I’d never kissed a girl she jokingly asked if she could be my first. She later said she didn’t know if she could kiss me and seemed relieved to be able to clarify that to me. She gives me mixed signals. Lots of them. I probably do the same to her. I don’t know how to approach the situation, as right now, I’m just curious about women, or more specifically her. If she genuinely has feelings for me I don’t want to use her to fill my desire for the experience. Is there a way to subtly hint towards my curious attraction without guaranteed awkwardness if she really doesn’t feel any attraction for me?