Hayden Panettiere worked doubletime as she signed autographs over the fence for her rabid fans before attending the Jimmy Kimmel Show in Los Angeles last night (October 1).

And while she is clearly open and embracing with her fans, the Heroes hottie says she feels awkward going out on the town with her male friends — in case they are mistaken for her boyfriend.

“I can’t stand next to anyone of the opposite sex without being linked to them or dating them. It is so frustrating,” she says. “Apparently I can’t have any friends. It’s absurd. And when they do the body language analyzing, it really gets to me.”

Hayden was more recently to Entourage actor Kevin Connolly after enjoying a night out on the town following the Emmys — but a rep put the kibosh on any speculation of a romance, branding them as “just friends.”