So a few neighbors of mine threw a nice birthday rager last night so I decided this would be the perfect chance to get back into the field for the first time since my girlfriend and I broke up a month or so ago. With only maybe 3-4 shots in my system for the entire night, I was in control and I was actively applying seddit logic in conversation for the first time. There were probably around 9 or so girls at the place and within maybe an hour I had talked to all of them.

I eventually got a #-close from the girl I had established the best rapport with. As she was giving me her digits, I remembered that I hadn't picked up on whether or not she was actually single (I'm NOT a home wrecker) so I said something like "I'd love to take you out and get coffee some time," and THEN she told me she had a boyfriend. I asked if he was good to her and she said yes, so we talked a bit more and then I politely ejected, never saving the number (which I now regret).

My question is did I go about this the right way? Should I have tried to find out earlier or was that strategy ok? Should I have saved her number?

TL;DR What's the best way to find out if a girls dating someone without being direct and do you keep her number if she is taken but gives you her digits?