Yes it's a sure sign she's interested, or was thinking of you and memories at the time
And yes when she wants to meet be a little difficult about it. Don't respond to her immediately on any messages, make her work for it. Tease her a bit, good ol Cat String Theory
And for the record getting back with an Ex even just to fool around is foolish, but it's a mistake I've made (and regretted) a few times so I know you're gonna need to learn that for yourself, no big deal
But I have to address your ethics piece. Girls will f with you If you let them, but if you want to be a PUA there is a certain code
What that means is that if it comes up you be honest with her that you're in date mode, seeing other people, and confused about your feelings for her (assuming you guys get to the point of fooling around). Do it on your terms tho and don't accept her rules or parameters. Have fun and break her heart by all means but not using lies or deceipt. The less available to her you are the harder she will want you back, if you are a PUA you can use all of this to understand what motivates girls and how to maintain control of your direction the whole time
Finally don't cut off all communication, just make it sporadic. If she messages you respond back a day later or something. If you don't respond to her interest she will stop, but if you respond appropriately and make her curious she will work much harder