A fine line between friendship and something more? (why is it so difficult to cross it)

I'm kind of in that situation. I'm friends with this girl, we're not close friend. We met at work three years ago. she left for school and just got back in contact and had coffee for three hours. no personal contact since just a lot of email coffespondence. She is helping me get a spot on a ship that goes to the south pole that her dad works for. I now have the biggest crush and on ever since I met her, I got really excited that she agreed to go to coffe wtih me after the three years.

I haven't said anything to her A I don't know if she is even single, B I don't know how she feels about me and C I don't know if I want to risk the friendship because she is a great and no what want her in my life. Sometimes when you come out with the feelings you have, even if they like you or not, the friendship in someway won't be the same again. Those are my reasons. And it doesn't help that she is back at school 300 miles away.

What do you think I should do. I did just hear a quote. Always tell someone how you feel about them because life is to short to do anything else. Anyway hope any answer helps.

Lots of questions in this question.

1. Nothing, unless you are counting time. Typically, the longer amount of time you spend with someone, the better the chances of an attraction building up. I say "nothing" because whether you end up as a couple or just friends, both relationships started out as strangers to one another, progressed to friendship, then merged into an attraction (at least by one party). Natural progression of a relationship.

2. Moony-eyed looks. More easily embarrassed. Giddy-ness (is that even a word?). More emotional or at least more able to show emotion in front of the other person. (comes from trust building up). Freudian slips of the tongue. (google if you don't know - see Sigmund Freud).

3. Don't understand the question. Next.

4. He is too weak to do the right thing. Will probably regret it. He should tell her exactly how he feels. If she rejects, then so what, he should still have at least a friend, albeit a "wary" friend.

Hope this helped. I guess the title question is directed to the Poll you have made up. I will take the poll with that in mind. Problem is, is that I cannot just pick one. They all have applied in the past, and are all valid reasons to not cross the line. Guess I will answer according to my last (current) relationship. I picked A and C equally, but if I have to choose one, I guess I choose C. I was literally sick to my stomach with worry that she would shut me off so as not to hurt my feelings because she told me and I agreed that she didn't want a relationship when we started just hanging out together. Luckily, she responded with love and affection and we live happily ever after. awwww. :)