You work at the same company, doesn't matter if it's the same office or not, I wouldn't do anything with it.
However, if you actually want something to happen then take some initiative and have some fvcking balls man.
You are being so timid and passive. That is a huge turn off to women. This women isn't fvcking stupid. She knows you like her. Either ask her out and get your answer or stop it with this nonsense.
I mean what's your plan? Wait for some magical time when the stars align and everything lines up perfectly for you?
That time is never coming. I mean what kind of man builds a plan of action on someone being promoted and then going for drinks, as if that's something that happens every day? Like that's literally your plan to get her to go out with you...you can't be serious.
Bro, grab your balls, be a man, face rejection and ask her out. If she says no then leave her alone.
It's that simple. You are delaying this because you have this fantasy in your mind that she MIGHT be interested and you can keep convincing yourself of this because you have taken no action so your mind can have these fantasies about what COULD happen that would not be able to take place once you got your answer.
But having fantasies about an outcome doesn't get you closer to that outcome, it only wastes your time. Stop wasting your time and be a man of action.
I am only posting this now for the good of others - OP does not want two way dialogue here.
I think my position now on office romance is clear - but having thought about this for a moment now, I do believe he unsuccessfully asked her out once when she was promoted (he said this was a follow up to a different thread). If he did, and with the other information in context, I would be very reticent to spend another moment in the workplace with this woman alone and without the very visible view of others in public space.
The ABSOLUTELY last thing I would do is create a text message dialogue now with this woman.
I think this woman is going to complain in her own right. If I am wrong on the promotion invite, after lingering around this woman for six months, and doing what he did, the *facts* I referenced are a ticking bomb for this man’s HR case. HR gets particularly touchy when you bring others in to do your business, and if she complains about him, he invited a witness to the situation on his own. He’s cooked.
On a personal level, this is getting uncomfortably close to premeditated behavior, or stalking.