Chapter One Summary and Analysis — How to Fail at Flirting

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

In Chapter One, we meet Dr. Naya Turner, a professor in the Center for Learning at Thurmond University. She is frustrated by a disengaged student, Quinton (or Quenton), who has not done the reading. After class, department chair Joe informs her that the new university president, Archibald “Flip” Lewis, may cut the education department, threatening Naya’s upcoming tenure review. Naya reflects on the work she has poured into her career and the encouragement of her grandfather, who is battling Alzheimer’s. Back in her office, she learns from Joe that her abusive ex-partner, Davis, has returned to campus. Searching online for Davis, she recalls a memory of attending a gala in a revealing dress he chose for her, and the tenderness he showed that night—a contrast to his controlling behavior. The chapter ends with Naya feeling that her office has become her whole world, a place of safety.

Key Events

Naya teaches a class and calls on an unprepared student named Quinton.
Joe warns Naya about possible budget cuts affecting the education department and her tenure.
Naya thinks about her grandfather’s illness and their conversations about her career.
Joe tells Naya that Davis is back on campus.
Naya searches for Davis online and remembers a gala where he won the Duncan Prize.
The memory reveals Davis’s control over Naya’s appearance and their relationship at that time.
Naya reflects on how her office has become her sanctuary.

Character Development

Naya Turner is introduced as a dedicated but weary professor. She is passionate about math education for English-language learners and has worked tirelessly to earn tenure. Her frustration with Quinton hints at deeper exhaustion. The news of potential cuts undermines her sense of stability. The revelation that Davis is back triggers past trauma and shows that Naya has been avoiding him for years. Her office represents her attempt to control her environment, a response to past emotional abuse. This chapter establishes her vulnerability and the high stakes she faces both professionally and personally.

Themes, Symbols, and Motifs

Control vs. Vulnerability: Naya seeks control in her office and her research routine, yet she is powerless against institutional decisions and Davis’s return.
Institutional Threat: The possible elimination of her department symbolizes a larger threat to her identity and security.
Domestic Abuse and Memory: The flashback to the gala highlights how abusers can be tender one moment and controlling the next. Naya’s reluctance to click on the article shows her fear of reopening old wounds.
Sanctuary: The office, with its familiar creaks and light, is portrayed as a physical and emotional shelter.
Impostor Syndrome: Naya’s conversation with her grandfather about “auditioning” for her job reflects her internal doubt about belonging in academia.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter establishes the central conflicts of the novel. Naya’s career is at risk due to budget cuts, her abuser has reentered her life, and her carefully built world is destabilized. The reader gains critical insight into Naya’s past and her present fears. These dual threats drive the plot forward and set the stage for her journey toward reclaiming agency and learning to trust again.

Study Questions

Why does Naya’s memory of the gala contrast so sharply with the reader’s understanding of Davis?
The memory shows Davis as charming and tender, winning a prestigious prize and treating Naya affectionately. However, the description of the dress—tight and revealing—and his explicit desire to “show her off” while knowing other men would want her, reveals a controlling, possessive side. The contrast underscores the complexity of abusive relationships, where kindness and cruelty can coexist.
How does Naya’s grandfather influence her drive for tenure?
Her grandfather’s story of being underestimated as a Spanish-speaking child inspired Naya to study math education for English-language learners. His question “Estás aprendiendo?” became a personal mantra. His Alzheimer’s adds urgency to Naya’s goal of achieving tenure before he forgets her accomplishments.
What does the description of Naya’s office tell us about her state of mind?
The office is described with sensory details—the keyboard under her fingers, the light filtering through blinds, the creaking building at night. These familiar elements provide comfort and control. Naya acknowledges that she has let these four walls become her whole world, suggesting she has isolated herself as a coping mechanism after her relationship with Davis.