There's a girl that I'm attracted to. When we first met, I think she liked me but I was too shy to make a move and over time I felt like she may have lost interest in me. Our communication shortened as our lives got busy again with work and school. She lives in NY and I live in NJ, so we're an hour and half away. We meet up atleast once month to go clubbing or to drink still. Why I think she liked me was during my first time meeting her in NY, I had booked a hotel room and she agreed to stay with me that night and we shared a bed while her girlfriends took the other bed. I never followed up about that the next day. (punching myself). She also held my hand on some occasions and one night when I was bery drunk, she let me rubbed her leg. However, she doesn't text me anymore like she use to, but when I do text her she always reply and we still always meet up atleast once a month.
So recently I asked her to hang out as I am determined to go for it this time and be more aggressive in asking her out or try to kiss her atleast and if she turns me down then atleast I can get a peace of mind and move on. I can't stand trying to be just friends anymore. My problem is, I can't seem to overcome my shyness to ask her directly but I feel like through my actions I should have shown her enough that I am interested. Anyway, so when I texted her to meet up next weekend, she said she is busy but said she is planning to do something the following weekend for her birthday. She said she will let me know when she decides what she's going to do and then ended the text with a winky face. She never uses a winky face before. I always get lots of smilies, the long faces, the open mouths or she would extend her wooooords or CAPITALIZE certain words.
Should I take that wink as a clear flirt sign that she wants me to ask her out on her birthday? Or maybe I'm thinking too much into it and the winky face in this context is just her being witty and doesn't mean anything. Ladies? Do you use winkies in texting? If so, when or why would you use it? Thaaank you so much.