I ignore it.
All women have at least 'some' beta orbiter she is claiming as some kind of a BF. The fact she has a BF tells you NOTHING about her current attraction level she might have for her guy. They might be slipping and she's really just hanging on out of habit. This is the nature of women, often times she will say she has a BF because she thinks it makes her more attractive... it's a test of your interest.
A confident man is not going to be concerned with competition. To a confident man a BF is nothing but another rooster in the hen house. Unless she is engaged she's fair game.
Next week I have a second date with a woman who floated out the "I have a boyfriend" line on our first date. I totally ignored that and kept running my game. SHe never mentioned it again and I didn't ask.
Asked her out again a couple weeks later... she said she couldn't make it, so I nexted her.
This week she sent me a text message asking how things were going, I called her back and said I wanted to see her again and asked if she was free for dinner next Wednesday. She said, "Didn't I tell you I had a BF.", I said, "I didn't ask you about that, I asked if you were free for dinner, are you?" She said okay, told I would ick her up at her place at 7 and to dress causal. Later she sent me a flirty text... I just texed back I'd see her Wednesday. This is how women are....
I got a phone number from a woman in the Wal-Mart parking lot, of all places, moths ago we are still causally dating. When I asked for the number she said "I have a boyfriend." What I told her was this, and it freaking worked like a charm, all you DJ's as free to use it.
Mike: "What's your number?"
HB8 - "I have a boyfriend." (Her BL was saying she was thinking about it)
Mike: "What?... he took your phone?... He doesn't let you use your phone?"
HB8: "Well no... you know what I mean."
Mike: "Well I guess I don't blame him if my GF looked as hot as you I'd be a little paranoid myself."
HB8: "It's not like that really."
Mike: "Well what's it like... tell me about it over dinner this Thursday."
HB8: "I can't..."
Mike: "What, you can't eat... Okay, then drinks."
HB8: "You're funny."
Mike: "It hard being funny standing in a Wal-Mart parking lot, you should see me on stage."
HB8: "Okay my number is XXX-XXXX, what's your number..."
Mike: "What so you can screen my call. I don't think so, you see if I give you my number and you don't pick up, then I'll know you know who I am and you are doing this on purpose, this will crush my ego, this way when I call, and you let it go to VM, I can assume you're screening me out because you don't know who is calling. It's much better for me that way.
HB8: "I don't do that."
Mike: "What, answer the phone? If you don't answer I can I ask you out, besides I'm not promising you I'll call."
HB8: "WELL if I give you my number you better call."
Mike: "Ah now that's what I want to here, enthusiasm! Let's just make a date this Thursday, that way you're not sitting by the phone and I'm not worried about screen outs. Since you won't eat or drink I'll figre out something fun to do."
HB8: laughing
Mike: "i'll pick up up at 7, what's your address, or do you just want to meet right here next to the shopping cart corral."
Hb8: laughing
Mike: Okay, right here at 7 on Thurday, dress casual.
HB8: Okay, I'm not promising you I'll be here.
Mike: "Hey if you don;t show, no problme I'll just head off and do what I have planned, but if you're not here a 7 I'm not waiting around."
HB8: "We'll see."
Mike: "I guess we will."
Well she was there, and we went bowling, than drinks a bar close to the house and played some darts. She never mentioned her BF again, and I never ask about him. It's been 6 months now, and hook-up every couple of weeks.