She wants to meet but her roommate is visiting: what to say

When she says her roommate is visiting, she's telling you the immediate plan is blocked and giving you the reason. That's different from saying she doesn't want to meet. The fact that she named a concrete obstacle and said "soon" suggests the interest is real and the timing is the problem. Read the specificity as a good sign. People who are losing interest tend to say "busy lately" with no reason attached.

What she's probably not thinking about is how her place will look to a stranger who might come over. A visiting friend in the apartment adds friction. She may also be hesitant to bring you somewhere that feels crowded or awkward on a first meeting. None of that is about you. Your reply should make the roommate constraint irrelevant by moving the meeting somewhere else, not by asking her to sort out her living situation.

The move here is to propose a specific, neutral meeting that sidesteps her home entirely. Pick a place, offer a rough window, and keep the ask small. A coffee, a drink, a walk. Naming a place takes the decision out of her hands and makes yes the easy answer. You're showing you understood the constraint and have already thought about it.

Also reference what she said. Acknowledging the roommate in a light way tells her you were listening, which matters more than a clever line. Keep the message short enough that she can answer from her phone between the visitor's plans. Close with a question she can answer in a word, so she doesn't have to build a schedule from scratch.

After you send a concrete plan, give her a normal window to answer. If she's busy with a guest, a few hours or the next day is reasonable. Waiting a day or two before a follow-up reads as relaxed. Sending a second message within the hour reads as pressure, even if you mean nothing by it.

If she goes quiet, one gentle follow-up is fine after two or three days, framed around the plan rather than asking why she hasn't replied. Something that gives her an easy out, like a line saying no worries if the weekend is still busy. If she doesn't respond to that, stop initiating. Her silence after a clear, low-effort offer is an answer, and continuing to chase turns mild interest into an awkward thread.